Hungry Like The Wolf
by DZ2
Summary: KEPT ON SITE FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES, BUT NOW ON PERMANENT HIATUS: ANY OFFERS OF ADOPTION ARE WELCOME
1. Aunt Petunia's Last Wish

Hungry Like The Wolf: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all copyright goes to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter: I don't even own the title: ownership of that goes to Duran Duran and their respected musical producers;

**Plot: **Response to my 'Howling Thunder' Challenge: Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you: it's comments like those that put me down and leave me in the mood that leads to story deletion and, after so long of blocks and dark comments, I am really starting to HATE having to get rid of my stories because it isn't liked;

Sorry to those who do like my stories, but I felt I had to get that off my chest: oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above; I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

**AUTHOR'S ADDED NOTE: Right, here we go then: once again, I'd like to thank whatever genius put this on the site I mentioned in the Den; I've gone through the story and decided not to make many – if any – changes as the story seems to flow normally; if any changes are made, well…that's that. Anyway, enjoy the restored 'Hungry Like The Wolf'**

**Challenge Information: ****Howling Thunder Challenge:**** At a young age, Harry is either turned into or discovers he is a werewolf! (Italics are what will be in the story)**

**Rules: **If Harry discovers he is a wolf, it MUST be either before he meets Remus or AFTER when he sees the change – _discovers it instead of turning_

If Harry is turned, it is NOT by Remus or Fenrir Greyback, but either can be involved in his life following it

Grey or Dark Harry – _Grey_

Harry's friends MUST be Ministry-biased when they learn he's a wolf, but they can change their minds later

Harry must either become part of a pack or build his own with him as the Alpha

**Guidelines: **Fenrir or Remus is Harry's biological Father - if he finds out he is one

Good Fenrir

Remus embraces the change – _in the story_

Other Were-creatures are discovered

Alpha Harry – _in the story_

Harry able to control the change – _in the story_

Harry discovers a power over canine/predatory creatures through his wolf – _will be in the story_

Alpha/Omega relationships – _will be in the story_

Slash

Crossovers – _slight, but not actual crossover topics will be mentioned within_

Harry leaves Hogwarts for sanctuary or to learn more about his inner beast – _will be in this story_

**Forbidden: **Harry and Tom as allies

Harry and Dumbledore as allies

Horcrux Harry - the turning or his legacy destroyed it before it could be sealed inside him

**Other than that, do whatever you want with it;**

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

Chapter 1: Aunt Petunia's Last Wish

Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world;

In a small street in Surrey, in a house that appeared to be completely normal, a near-thirteen-year-old boy was the only occupant of the house that was wide awake, his bedroom window thrown open; his arms resting on the sill of his window as he stared out across the crisp night scene.

At first glance, no-one would suspect that this boy, named Harry Potter, was anything more than just another boy; with his wiry, somewhat undernourished frame, his bespectacled green eyes and his wild raven-black hair that would never lay flat, Harry looked like the proverbial wild boy held within the human frame. Though, to those who knew him, they knew different: for Harry was no ordinary boy, he was, in fact, a wizard…and, at this moment, he _couldn't get to sleep!_

Harry couldn't explain it: ever since recovering from the encounter with Voldemort in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry had been plagued by a fit of sleepless nights that some tried to explain as insomnia creeping up on him. Given that what nights he _did_ sleep were filled with images and reminders of everything he had done and all he had lost, Harry wasn't surprised he wasn't sleeping, but this time…this time was different than those other times. For one, his nights were now filled with restlessness in the forms of heightened energy levels, as if he had drunk a lake of caffeine and then been hooked up to the power mains for all of Little Whinging; another thing Harry had noticed was that his moods were as unpredictable as the weather.

He just couldn't explain it: sometimes, he'd be the same happy-go-lucky, warm and friendly Harry that people knew and loved and then at other times, he'd be snappish, brooding and almost isolated, seeking the comforts of his own company over the environmental feeling of being with friends. Not even the Dursleys troubled him anymore after Harry, in what must have been some clear fit of rage, had sent Vernon flying through the kitchen door, the usually loud and arrogant Muggle now being silenced by the fact he was forced to wear a cast over his left arm from the impact he'd taken. Also, whether it was his moods or just the fact that he'd finally found the strength to stand up to Vernon's taunts, jibes and endless bullying, Harry didn't know, but something had also changed his Aunt Petunia: she now looked upon him with fear and apprehension, as if he had announced that he was the Second Coming of the Devil himself.

Leaning on his sill, the cool night air blowing across his face, Harry let out a deep sigh before he traced a finger idly over his left arm, the final look to his unexplained changes being shown: for you see, what once _had_ been a wiry frame was now restored with muscle that looked like Harry had spent his days since the Chamber lifting weights and running a marathon every day. Perhaps, Harry wondered, this was where the energy was coming from: these sudden growth spurts and muscle mass restorations – which hurt like hell when they came to him without warning – was leaving Harry's body with the adrenaline of the change and, instead of letting him rest off the pain, his instincts were ordering him, yelling and screaming at him to run, jump, move, swerve and, dare he think it, fight.

Harry couldn't explain it and, the one time he'd tried to look into it – courtesy of sending Hedwig off to Hermione as if seeking her counsel on this matter – his snowy owl had returned with a simple scrawled reply: _Spoken to my parents about this and they say its perfectly normal; see you later; Hermione._

Moving away from the window, Harry looked to his bed, his hand lazily scratching at the back of his neck as he looked to his quilt cover, a part of him forcing words from his mouth as he asked, "Hermione…what's normal about this?"

The growth, he would agree was normal; the mood swings…well, he _had_ just escaped death for the third time in his life; but the muscle growth, the sleepless nights and…and…this: was this normal?

For Harry had also not only had sleepless nights, but, when he had woken, like now when he was resting against the sill, he had found his quilt covers, pillows, bed sheets and the very mattress drenched in moisture that, despite the jibes he feared from Dudley if he learned this, Harry knew weren't what his Muggle cousin thought they were.

No, the moisture had come from his body…in a tidal surge of sweat episodes as if he had been camping under the heat of the Sahara sun.

"Nights filled with sweat and energy that can't be burned off," Harry whispered, grabbing a spare quilt from on top of his wardrobe; lying it down on the floor, Harry lay his head on the ground and, with a sigh, he asked, "What's normal about that?"

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

When the Dursleys awoke the next morning, Harry was already down in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone, his sweat-drenched bedding being washed thoroughly while he was aerating the mattress in the sun of a secluded spot in the back garden: it was out of the sight of the neighbours, so Harry knew he wouldn't have to worry about Aunt Petunia shrieking about disrespect. This was a result of his new attitude as well: ever since he'd broken Vernon's arm, Harry had taken advantage of this and told Vernon he was now to be treated equally and Dudley would share the chores: if not, Harry would break Vernon's other arm and then he'd remove the bones in Dudley's to follow.

'And thanks to Lockhart,' Harry thought, setting down four plates of Full English, 'I know how to do that.'

When Vernon, still wearing his cast, entered the dining room and saw Harry working, he seemed to cough before grunting a response that could have been interpreted as a greeting. Returning the gesture with a more polite _good morning uncle,_ Harry sat down and began to dig into his meal, a part of him not noticing the bigger picture at work here: or at least he didn't until he bit into his sausage and a warm red liquid trailed down his chin, Vernon now leaping from his chair with a crash.

"Are you trying to poison us, you little monster?" he asked, Petunia and Dudley entering, Harry's cousin already eating his own breakfast, which Vernon noticed wasn't as bloody as Harry's.

"What can I say?" asked Harry, wiping the blood from his chin, though a part of him was wondering why he hadn't noticed it until the moment his uncle had spoken. "I like my meat to be rare."

That was the moment that Aunt Petunia let out a gasp of horror and, seconds later, a loud smash echoed through the dining room as her plate slid off the table and onto the floor, Harry rising with a sigh as he explained, "I'll get a broom."

As he was sweeping up the remains, Harry heard Aunt Petunia's voice from nearby, "Vernon…why don't you take Dudders out with some of his friends? I…I can take care of…Potter for today and I'll make sure he doesn't break anything else."

"That's a good idea Pet," Vernon agreed, "Marge is coming next week, so I think it would be in the boy's best interests if the house is in shape."

Ten minutes later, with some difficulty, Vernon was guiding a protesting Dudley to a taxi, the older Dursley cursing because of how he couldn't drive with his bound arm. However, when the car was out of earshot, Harry had just gone to prepare the guest room when Aunt Petunia, turning to him, actually did something she'd never done before: used his name.

"Harry; leave that till later," she told him, her voice calm, but wavering with the same expression that she'd shown in her eyes whenever she'd looked at Harry. "Come…come into the living room with me: I think…I think we need to talk."

With confusion in his gaze, Harry followed his Aunt through to the living room, a part of him then noticing a strange, almost _oily_ scent in the air, but he was sure that he hadn't sprayed anything and neither had his Aunt. Moving through to the living room, Harry shut the door behind him and took a seat, Aunt Petunia sitting in the furthest chair from him as she looked around the room, her gaze clearly trying to look anywhere but at him. Daring to break one of his Aunt's rules, Harry asked, "Aunt Petunia: what's wrong with you? You seem…you seem scared…of…of me."

"I tried…tried to deny it," Petunia explained, her voice still remarkably calm as she spoke to Harry, the strange oily scent now being increased as Harry, glancing around the room, tried to see where it was coming from, "But…but I can't: I…I am scared of you Harry: terrified in fact."

"Why?" Harry asked, looking to his Aunt and that was when he noticed it: whether he was just hallucinating or his magic had somehow compensated for his confusion, Harry didn't know, but the air around his Aunt had suddenly taken on a pale, almost sickly colour of red that seemed to ebb and flow like the tides washing on the shore. More than that, Harry then noticed that these strange tides of colour were also the source of the oily scent he had picked up on earlier, "What the hell is going on?"

"You're growing," Petunia explained, Harry's eyes narrowing as he realised he had actually asked that question out loud; glancing to his Aunt, Harry tried to block out the scent and the strange tides that were around her body as he listened to Petunia speaking. "And…because…because of _her_ side of the family, you're…you're changing."

"What's Mum got to do with this?" asked Harry, knowing that there was only one person that Petunia would refer to with such venom in her voice.

"More than you think," Petunia explained, her voice soft as she slowly moved around to Harry; keeping her voice calm, Petunia continued, "Harry, there's something you should know about…about…"

"Mum," Harry finished, Petunia actually gulping with a sense of dread as she continued.

"Yes…Lily: Mother and Father's _innocent_ Lily Evans; she…" there was another hesitation before Petunia continued, "She's not my _real_ sister: she's not even related by blood."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, but then he remembered all the times that Petunia had denied the fact that she had a sister: was this why? Voicing his theory, he asked, "If Mum's not your real sister, then how did she come to live with you?"

"Ironically," Petunia explained, "The same way that you came to live with us: my Father found her on the doorstep just days after she was born with a letter asking my parents to look after her."

"Did the letter say who it was from?" asked Harry, wondering now about the similarities between Mother and Son; if that was the same, then why had his Mother been left like that?

"No," Petunia replied, Harry noticing that she was doing nothing to silence his questions or the fact that he was constantly interrupting her explanations. "All it said was that her name was Lily and that we should look after her: now, I'll admit that, when she was younger before…before she met that boy and went to that school, Lily and I actually got on…it's true," she added, seeing Harry's eyes widen with disbelief. "But then I discovered the truth about Lily when she got her letter and I chose to never see her as my sister: she didn't exist to me and, though she could do things I couldn't, she would always be the outcast to me."

"What does this have to do with now?" asked Harry, now noticing Petunia reach behind her chair, a small box decorated with silver clasps and a crest he couldn't recognise being retrieved: the Crest held what appeared to be two crescent moons on a starlight-silver shield, a letter R held in the crossing point of the two crescents.

Setting the box on the coffee table in front of Harry, Petunia continued, "When she was a little older than you, Lily started to develop certain…skills and became interested in some more…normal activities: archery, riding, cross-country, orienteering and scuba-diving. Even more than this, she also started to look into the art of fencing and swordsmanship: when I asked her about this, she explained that it was to protect her future and that of her son. I told her that she didn't have a son, but all she answered with were the words _one day, I will_."

Running a hand over the silver decorations on the box, Harry actually sniffed as he thought about his Mother: what was the significance of the letter R and whose family did the crest belong to?

"Then," Petunia continued, "About a year or so after she left that school, she came here and gave me that box and I could see that she was expecting: all she would say is _when the time is right, give him this;_ as if she knew that we would be receiving you…not that I wanted anything more to do with her, but that was the last time I saw her. The next time I heard from my family was when I found you on the doorstep and took you in…albeit against my own judgments, but I remembered what Lily had said."

"How…how did you know this was the right time?" asked Harry, his eyes looking from the box to his Aunt, "And if you knew you'd receive me, then why did you allow me to be raised like…like _that_?"

"I don't know," Petunia explained, "But I do know that this is the right time because, while she was at that school, Lily always had an air of…of your lot around her and I came to recognise it: a couple of days ago, I felt that air again and it came from the box. That told me that the time was right: I haven't opened it, but you see, I _do_ know what's happening to you because I've seen it happen before."

"To whom?" asked Harry, now moving his fingers down to the latches on the box's front.

"A friend of your Mother's," Petunia explained, "And when I saw it happen, I officially killed Lily as being my sister…until today: Harry, you're changing and, I'm not telling you, I'm more _begging _you: tonight, at midnight, I want you to leave this house…and never return."

"Why?" asked Harry, knowing that something like this should have come: any memory of his Mother would clearly be too much for Petunia, "What does my leaving have to do with what's happening?"

"Open the box and find out," Petunia explained, Harry now sliding his fingers under the latches: seconds later, a sharp stabbing pain hit his fingertips as the box seemed to draw blood from him, though when Harry moved his hand away, he saw no marks on the tips of his fingers. Instead, looking back to the box, Harry watched as the latches were lifted and a bar slid clear of the front edge of the box, the lid clicking open with a soft, mournful whisper of the wind.

Lifting the lid all the way, Harry peered inside and was rather confused as to what he saw: it appeared to be a journal, an envelope and what appeared to be a key set in solid silver with the same crest at the loop in the key's head. Taking the envelope, Harry looked to his Aunt before he asked, "What…what do I…"

"Open it," Petunia told him, "We'll talk more afterwards."

Opening the letter, Harry saw a rather finely-written script revealing words that were easy to read, a strong scent of lavenders and crushed…lilies covering the letter: whatever was going on, Harry hoped that this would reveal it;

_To my darling son Harry,_

_If you're reading this, then my death has come and you've started to experience the power of my lineage coming into effect: if Petunia has done as I asked, then it's likely she's also asked you to leave. This is for a good reason: it's not because she hates you – no matter what she says – but because, like me, she wishes to protect you from what is to come._

_I'm sorry that I can't be there in person to explain this, but I want you to know that I love you Harry and I'm sorry for the power and destiny that has been set in motion for you with this time of your life. First, allow me to explain in some more detail: many of the wizarding world believe me to be named Lily Alexandra Evans, but this is NOT true: my real name is Lillian Anastasia Romanov, daughter of Isabella and Nikolai Romanov, but also the daughter of a legacy that is divided between male and female members of my family._

_My Father, Nikolai, is the one who carried the legacy while my Mother was an Enchantress, a Mistress of the Craft and of the elemental forces of nature: some would call her a gypsy woman while others would call her a Child of the Old Religion. As I understand it, my Mother is also a woman with Seer's blood and the gift of the Sight: she saw this letter and my having a son, which is how I came to hope I could protect you, but, as this moment proves, I failed in that task._

_For you see Harry, within our family's bloodline, there has been a curse and a fate tied to one creature: the wolf; my ancestors…our ancestors hunted those wolves and saved many people from their fierce curse…until my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather made the mistake of hunting the _wrong_ wolf: what he hunted was a Skinwalker's Childe, a _werewolf.

_For that, our line was cursed so that the male generations became the wolf and the female became the hunter: this is why I was so engrossed in all those activities and sports: I wasn't socialising; I was training._

_What this means Harry, if you haven't already figured it out, is that, on the night of your thirteenth birthday, you shall become one of the members of the Lycanthrope nation: a werewolf. On that night, if my Mother's foreseeing proves true, you shall already be protected and told the true strength inside you: the reason I entrust my Mother with your life is because of who she is: Isabella Selene Romanov is a daughter of the same clan that cursed our lineage to begin with…your Father's laughing right now._

_If Petunia has asked you to leave, then know that it is because without my Mother's protections, you cannot be kept safe from those who would see our bloodline end and the curse laid to rest once and for all; go to Gringotts and speak with the one known as Silverfang: he will help you find my Mother. Beyond that, I cannot say much more except that the key is yours now: it leads to a trunk in the Evans Vault that contains things to help with your Lycan destiny and the journal was written by my Father, Nikolai, on the ways of the Wolf._

_In closing, I ask that you trust the one known as Moony and, when the time comes, you must trust your instincts over everything else: your path is your own and no-one else's._

_I love you…so very much…my _petit loup garou

_Mum_

_PS: To help keep you safe, tell Petunia that she _has_ to officially disown any knowledge of you or I after the day you read this letter: if she betrays you, then your Mummy says you can _bite_ her._

Harry didn't know which emotion was more victorious right now in the war that was raging on inside him: fear, shock, disbelief or a sense of wonder that he was reading and holding things that his Mother had left him.

Shock won out: a werewolf?

He was a werewolf?

And he was meant to leave Privet Drive, find the one known as Silverfang – whom he guessed was a goblin, which meant Gringotts – and meet with a family member he'd never known or met before?

"Well?" asked Petunia, directing Harry's attention back to her: just by reading the words, Harry knew what he had to do.

"I'll be gone," he promised her, "By midnight tonight."

**Chapter 1 complete and Harry has learned a startling secret: he's a descendant of a wolf's curse and his Mother wishes him safe despite her side of the family – female – wishing his side – male – dead: can Harry escape his unseen pursuers?**

**Also, what will this Isabella tell him about his future and how did Lily mean by her protections helping Harry?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Silverfang, Isabella and Harry's real home all introduce themselves to the young wolf; plus, Isabella tells Harry of his real side and of the role he is to play to the Wolf Nation when his powers reach their zenith; also, it seems that Harry may have been slightly misguided when he thought Hermione had brushed him off and an old friend becomes a new member of Harry's family when a debt is repaid…**

**Please Read and Review…**

**AN: Romanov is an OC name and has no relation to the Russian Tsar or the legend of Rasputin or that history;**


	2. Isabella Romanov

Hungry Like The Wolf: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Plot: **Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you; oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above;

I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

_"Well?" asked Petunia, directing Harry's attention back to her: just by reading the words, Harry knew what he had to do._

_"I'll be gone," he promised her, "By midnight tonight."_

Chapter 2: Isabella Romanov

Returning to his room, both the key and the journal now in his hand while the safe-keeping box was tucked under his arm, Harry laid his things down on his bed before he stood up straight, his mind now working at a million miles an hour to try and comprehend everything he had heard: his family were descendants of a curse that turned their male heirs into werewolves while the females were meant to hunt the male family?

And his Mother, one of these Hunters, had in fact been training to protect Harry due to a Seer, his grandmother no less, telling her that she would one day have a son: the only question Harry could ask was…why?

Was it that his Mother couldn't stand the thought of having to kill her own son?

Or was it something else? Something that Harry wasn't seeing here yet was hiding in plain sight?

'Whatever the reasons,' Harry thought, 'I think it's obvious that I have to keep my word and make my way to Gringotts…but…what about my things?'

Peering around his room, Harry had to decide on what he could and couldn't keep and what, in all honesty, he wanted to get rid of; thanks to his muscular transformation, he was starting to look less baggy with Dudley's hand-me-downs, but they would still have to go. What he was wearing at the moment would suffice, along with one pair of his Hogwarts pyjamas for the night: in the morning, after a good-night's rest, he could go to Gringotts and then do some serious shopping.

Moving onto his Hogwarts things: he actually wished to take the lot: his parents' photo journal provided to him by Hagrid, his Invisibility Cloak and Nimbus 2000, his books, papers, robes and his gifts from his friends. Also, he would send Hedwig away for now, but only for now: he didn't want to scare her with his change as and when it came; to be on the safe side, Harry had two choices of where to send her: Hogwarts…or Hermione's.

It was the offer of his best friend looking after his first friend that won out; moving over to her cage, Harry unlatched the door and, holding his arm out, let Hedwig move onto his sleeve, his hand brushing over her breast for a short time. Keeping his voice as calm as he could, Harry told her, "I want you to go to Hermione's for me girl: when it's safe for you to be around me again, I'll send Hermione a letter and have you sent back with the reply. I know," he added as Hedwig nuzzled his cheek with her large head, her amber eyes staring into him with a sense of longing, "I'll miss you too, but until I get the answers I'm looking for, it's best for you to be away from me: I love you girl…"

With that, he lifted his arm and sent Hedwig flying out of his window and into the sky, the owl knowing that her Harry meant well with his decision, but she ached inside to think of the pain he was to endure all on his own. Hopefully, the brown-haired one would be able to help him as even Hedwig, as Harry's quote-unquote familiar, had sensed the bond between them and hoped that it would be more: but, for now, she would obey her Harry and go to the brown-haired one.

Back in his room, Harry waited until Hedwig was a speck on the horizon before he began to assemble his things, the dilemma of how he was going to move all these things and where to slowing his progress slightly: it was as he began to put away his quills and parchments that inspiration struck Harry. Grabbing a few spare Galleons from his money pouch, Harry scrawled a quick message to one whom he hoped would be able to put him up at least for the night; with the letter complete, Harry sat back down as he realised his folly: he'd sent Hedwig away and so he couldn't send the letter with her.

'It's official,' he thought, putting his head into his hands as thoughts of doubt filled his head, 'Harry Potter is a grade O idiot.'

And that was when it hit him: thinking of himself in the third person seemed to strike a chord with the young wolf, his eyes lifting from his hands and a smile creeping across his face: if this worked, he'd have someone he could trust at his side and he'd be able to live out his life without worry of errands or day-to-day workings. After all, the one he had in mind practically lived to be of service to the wizards of the world and, especially since he owed Harry a debt, he appeared to respect Harry to the point he'd be of assistance to him again.

Looking around his room, Harry sighed as the irony of the situation was not lost on him: when he had first met his chosen ally, it had been in this room and rather unexpectedly: now, however, Harry needed him and it would all start in this room once again.

"Dobby?"

Silence and, for a moment, Harry felt his heart weigh down as he knew that he had said all Dobby had to do to repay him was never save his life again, but this was important and the young, somewhat uniquely-behavioural House Elf was his chance of keeping in the dark away from those who meant him harm.

"Dobby?" Harry repeated, pouring emotion into the words and, unconsciously, reaching out with a sense of magical empathy as he added, "Please Dobby: I…I need your help."

A loud and very familiar pop answered his summons; looking up, Harry saw the familiar tennis-ball green eyes and floppy ears; compared to what he'd looked like when last they'd met, Dobby actually looked healthier and Harry was partially pleased to notice no new signs of self-punishment.

"Harry Potter needs Dobby and Dobby will help Harry Potter sir," the elf told him, his usual excitable tone filled with a note of loyalty that was as clear as day to Harry: he wondered if this was another little trait that came with the wolf that would rise from within him. "All Harry Potter needs do is ask sir and Dobby will be here for him."

"Thank you Dobby," Harry replied, a smile crossing his face as he stood up; looking around the room, checking everything he was willing to take with him was there, Harry then continued, "I need you to go to the Leaky Cauldron for me and take these things with you." He handed Dobby the letter, which was sealed and wrapped around the Galleons he offered for Tom the barkeep, "Hand this to Tom when you see him and, if he asks, tell him that I'll add anything he asks for more nights if they're needed, do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Dobby replied, bowing so low that his nose almost touched the floor, "Dobby is gracious and honoured to be of service to Harry Potter sir; perhaps Harry Potter would consider making Dobby his elf sir. Then Dobby would be at Harry Potter's call whenever he is needed."

"That's actually a good idea," Harry agreed, keeping word of the debt owed silent, "All right Dobby: we'll deal with it officially later, but for now, I want you to know that I don't expect you to be as fearful of me as you were of your former master. That means no punishing yourself and definitely no going against my wishes: also, like I said the last time we met; don't go out of your way to save my life. If danger approaches me, then let me deal with it as I see fit: other than those rules, you can do as you wish Dobby and, of course, I'd be willing to pay you."

Dobby was ecstatically happy: he threw his arms around Harry's leg and sobbed into his jeans; bending down, Harry removed Dobby from his embrace before he added, "Don't do that Dobby: you're my friend, not my servant, so it's obvious that I should treat you with the same respect you treat me. Now, off you go and, once you're done, I'd like you to come back when I call you and take me straight to the Cauldron, understand?"

"Yes sir," Dobby replied, before, with a click of his fingers, the elf vanished; seconds later, Harry watched as his trunk, robes, books, broom and cloak all followed suit.

With an empty room around him, Harry turned on his heel and made his way down the stairs, where he found Petunia doing something he'd never seen her do before: making dinner for the two of them, a warm and steamy mug of sweetened tea on the kitchen unit as Harry entered. Without turning, Petunia asked, "All set to go then?"

"Yes," Harry replied, his voice calm as he explained, "There's just one more bit of business Aunt Petunia and then, after today, you'll never see me again."

"What's that Harry?" asked Petunia, aware of Harry's hand sliding to his waist pocket, "You can't use that outside of school; you know that?"

"I do," Harry replied, his voice calm as he withdrew his wand and, setting it on the side, he told her, "But I'd like you to destroy it after I'm gone: with what I will become, I can feel that my magic is going to grow and my old wand won't be able to match the power I'll wield. Also, after I'm gone, I'd like you and Vernon and Dudley to move away: don't tell anyone and don't make arguments about it: just leave and never look back."

"And why should I do that?" asked Petunia, Harry actually smirking as he found the chance to make the last words of the letter known to his Aunt.

"Because Mum said that you should disown any and all knowledge of me after I'm gone," Harry explained, his voice then turning a mystical cold tone as he added, "And that if you betray me for any reason, then I have her permission to come back and bite you and, given what I'll become, I don't think you'd want that sort of bite."

Petunia didn't gasp: she just stood stock still before she responded to her nephew's words, "So by moving away and making new lives, we're not leaving a trail for those who would otherwise want to kill you and we're leaving everything about our old life behind: yes?"

"Yes," Harry agreed, taking the mug of tea and, with real ease that would have been impossible for a human, he downed it and set the empty mug back on the side, "Though, for what it's worth, I am grateful that it was you who found me and not someone who would have otherwise killed me or abandoned me: you helped turn me into the young man I will one day become and, for that, I will always be grateful. But, personally Aunt Petunia, I do hope we never meet again."

Though he was gone by the time Aunt Petunia made her way up to his room to say her own thanks, Harry knew how she'd felt as, when he'd gone up the stairs, he had picked up a scent on the breeze of the feeling of regret and a sense of family.

In Harry's mind, if he hadn't gone before Petunia had made it up the stairs, he may never have gotten away…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Spending the night at the Cauldron was easy: because of his new appearance, Harry was almost unrecognizable as the Boy-Who-Lived anymore, so it was easy for him to make his way from the bar up to his room without being mobbed by anyone that may have been looking for him. However, despite his best wishes, Harry still had to endure another sleepless night of sweat, energy spikes and a sense of want and need to escape his mortal coil and embrace the feral power inside him.

At one point, Harry reached into his Astronomy textbook and found out some information on the moon and its phases; standing at his window, he'd looked out and found the moon at its perigee, which meant it was close to the Earth, but also, it was in the final stage before the full moon: the gibbous moon.

'This means,' Harry thought, 'I have maybe five days before the full moon: ha, irony isn't lost on me: it's another week before my thirteenth birthday and the full moon lasts three nights, so the third night of the moon is my thirteenth birthday: there's coincidence for you.'

Returning his book to the trunk, Harry leaned on the sill once more and let the gibbous moon fill his emerald eyes with its light, Harry sighing as he laughed before he whispered, "So bright and so beautiful…and yet you're about to affect my life most of all."

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Just before 10am the next morning – with now less than five days until full moonrise – Harry made his way into the alley and straight towards Gringotts, a casual robe covering his clothes and the robe, with a little help from Dobby, also held Harry's new crest: the two crossed crescents behind a letter R. It was as Dobby had projected the Crest onto the robe that Harry had noticed that one of the crescents wasn't a moon at all, but a wolf's fang, which clearly symbolised the curse of his family's bloodline.

Stepping into Gringotts, Harry smiled as he noticed a very familiar goblin working behind one of the desks, a strong smell of wealth, respect and constant danger filling his senses as he approached the desk. Clearly, as long as Harry had the time to kill, so to speak, he was going to have to adjust to the sensations that came with his wolf side and that was _before_ the wolf changed and released itself from the man.

Clearing his throat, Harry spoke with a respectable tone as he explained, "Good morning to you Master Griphook: it is a pleasure to see you again: may your day prove profitable and your gold flow always."

Griphook, stunned enough that a wizard had bothered to show formal respect and remember his name, looked up and, as soon as he lay eyes on the emerald orbs of the young wolf, the goblin bowed his head in response, "And may the lords of war bless your every battle with success Master Potter: how may I be of service today?"

"I seek an audience," Harry explained, his tone still formal as he could still smell the air of danger around him, "With the one known as Silverfang."

The crystals that Griphook had been weighing fell to the surface of the desk with a loud clatter; peering into Harry's eyes, he asked, "And what business do you have with the Director of our company Master Potter?"

"That of an ancient family," Harry explained, "And at the request of my late Mother, Director Silverfang was the one I was to meet with and no other."

"Very well," Griphook remarked, his eyes then noticing Harry's crest, though he gave no real reaction to the sight. Rising from his stool, Griphook gave a scowl as he added, "If you would wait here Master Potter, I will inform Director Silverfang of the circumstances of this meeting: won't keep you waiting."

As Griphook left Harry's service, the young wolf suddenly straightened up, his eyes scanning the area around him with a sense of dread and foreboding: he didn't know why, but he had the distinct impression that he was either being watched or followed, though, with no wand and no real way to defend himself, Harry was easy prey to whatever predator was following him.

Once again, it seemed that the young wolf had made a folly and yet, as he looked back to the desk, ignoring the sensation of his hair prickling the back of his neck, Harry also knew that it would be a cold day in hell before the goblins let anyone threaten a client within the walls of Gringotts.

This was the reason that Harry's wolf senses had picked up the scent of constant danger around him and the other clients: it was because the goblins, being steadfast warriors and treasurers of gold and other such valuables, saw any threat as a threat to them and, if anyone was indeed foolish enough to draw a wand in here, they'd more than likely lose their head.

Soon, Harry felt at ease as Griphook returned, his eyes showing a look of fear and intimidation as he inclined his head and, with clear hesitation in his voice, he remarked, "M-My Director Silverfang is ready to…receive your audience Master Potter: I…I do hope that this folly of my formality towards you and your business does not hold any dark thoughts against Gringotts this day."

"Indeed not Master Griphook," Harry replied, inclining his head in a polite gesture as he added, "Stand tall and know that you have earned your trust with the Sire of James Potter: I pray that such trust lasts as long as the halls of the goblin courts do stand."

"As do I, my young Master," Griphook replied, watching as Harry left the desk and, moving down the passage indicated by Griphook, Harry made his way down towards the hall of the goblin Director, a being he didn't need expert knowledge to know that he demanded respect. Well, as the last son of a Noble Family, Harry was more than determined to show him the respect he deserved and, if his Mother's words were right, show that he held the same trust towards Silverfang that his Mother had done.

Reaching the end of the passageway, Harry saw a rather well-built iron door barring him access to any place beyond, a plaque mounted on the door spelled in both goblin and human runes, the words:

_Ragnok Silverfang, Director and High Master of Gringotts Treasurers_.

Lifting a hand, Harry knocked once on the door, a bass voice from beyond commanding, "Enter."

Opening the door, Harry gasped as he found an amazingly-decorated room that held an almost enchanting glow of deep bronze or gold around its walls, the floor mostly composed of obsidian stones that were polished to a smooth finish. At the head of the room, seated behind a large beech desk, was a goblin dressed in what appeared to be a fine suit, his hands holding gauntlets that were tipped by claw-shaped fingers and spikes on the knuckles. Around his neck was a gold pendant with the Gringotts Crest held on the medallion and, at his side, the goblin bore a rather sharp, very powerful-looking war-sword that looked like it could slice Harry in two with ease and not gain a single stain of blood along the blade.

Stopping a foot's distance from the desk, Harry put his hand to his heart and bowed respectfully to the goblin, his eyes low as he explained, "Director and Lord Ragnok Silverfang, I am honoured to be considered worthy of an audience with your Lordship: may the gods of battle bless your wars to victory."

"And may the hammer of fate and destiny forever strike in your favour, Master Potter," Silverfang replied, Harry gulping now as he heard the goblin's bass tongue at such a close distance: it was like being caught in the centre of a thunderstorm. The next thing he expected was a lightning bolt to flash through the air right next to him; instead, Silverfang continued, "Please, my young Master, do not bow to me for your coming to my halls has been long in coming. Take a seat, Master Potter and we can begin the business with which you are here today to learn."

Obeying the goblin leader, Harry took the offered seat, which had appeared as if summoned as soon as Silverfang had offered it, his hands linked and his eyes meeting the dark, apparently fiery eyes of the goblin before Harry asked, "With all due respect my Lord, why did my Mother entrust you with my family's past?"

"A noble question Master Potter," Silverfang told him, "And the right one I'd expect one of your station to ask: the answer is simple; I am the leader of the richest, wealthiest organisation in the wizarding world and I don't get there by allowing prejudice, discrimination or beliefs against those whose lineages are different to the ways of the world stand in my way. Every customer with the good fortune of a meeting within my halls is treated as an equal, even if they are as uniquely-blooded as you, Master Potter or if they are believed to be a member of the wizard's foolish beliefs of good or evil. So, when your Mother, a Huntress of the Romanov Family and Heiress to a legacy she knew not, approached me and asked for my permission to name me as the confidant to this ancient lineage, I was not only honoured, but more than willing to provide my extremely-coveted services for the good of the Family and the line in which it represents."

"Then I am honoured that you were willing to do such a feat," Harry told Ragnok, swallowing hard as he added, "And, if I may Lord Silverfang, would you permit me a request of your hallowed self?"

"Of course," Ragnok answered, his eyes on Harry as he asked, "How can I be of assistance to the Family I so passionately represent, Master Potter?"

"Would you mind calling me by my first name?" asked Harry, "Naming me Master makes me feel uncomfortable as it has the distinct impression that you, a Lord and leader of the goblin nation, are beneath me and I can't let that be known."

"You are a man of honour, Harry Potter," Ragnok sighed, nodding his head as he added, "I will oblige your request and, in an act of faith, I ask that you do the same of me: my name is Ragnok and you are my friend and ally always and forever."

As Harry settled into a more comfortable, relaxed position, he swallowed once before he asked, "Now, if I may be so bold Ragnok: what exactly was the purpose of our meeting today?"

"To meet someone other than myself Harry," Ragnok answered him, gesturing now to the spot behind Harry as he added, "Her."

Looking over his shoulder, Harry then noticed that, ever since he had started moving away from Griphook, the feeling of being watched had never left him and now he knew why: standing behind the chair where he was sitting with Ragnok was a woman who held an air of age about her and yet looked like she could still run the London Marathon…twice. She was dressed in a teal-coloured gown with a clasp near one shoulder that was shaped like the crest on Harry's robe; her hair was as white as freshly-fallen snow and, when Harry looked to her face, he saw the age in the wrinkles that covered her forehead and edged her lips, a pair of sharp ice-blue eyes looking at Harry with a kind air.

Other than the gown, the woman also wore a pair of white heels and a pair of white gloves over her hands, one of her wrists holding a silver bracelet with a charm clasp shaped like two wolf fangs linked together; when the woman saw Harry looking, she smiled and Harry felt his heart soar: the smile was filled with love and compassion and, as those eyes met his, Harry was sure that the woman was actually reading his mind.

"Hello there Harry Potter," she addressed him with an air of pride and respect and, of course, love that was held by family; her accent appeared to be English, but held an Eastern dialect as if she had been born in the lands of Romania or Western Russia, "I am Lady Isabella Selene Romanov: your grandmother…and I am very glad to meet you."

Harry was silent, though, before he could make heads or tails of the situation, a sense of confusing dizziness overpowered him and the next thing Harry found himself seeing was the back of his eyelids…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Hermione Granger was indeed surprised when her open bedroom window received a visitor in the form of Harry's loyal owl, Hedwig, though, when Hermione had asked about Harry, Hedwig had simply nuzzled her cheek and said nothing in response. In that one moment, Hermione felt like she was drawn to Hedwig simply for the fact that she belonged to Harry and, despite the letter she'd gotten the other day, the smart Gryffindor third-year felt like she had been missing something.

When she'd replied to Harry's letter with the simple fact of her Father telling him that these feelings were normal, Hermione had actually felt guilty and now, seeing Hedwig perch on the top of her wardrobe, Hermione actually wondered if she would bother sending a letter to Harry asking for a meeting or a face-to-face encounter.

Only one thing stopped any of that:

She was going on holiday tomorrow…

'Ah well,' Hermione thought, returning to her homework assignments, 'I'll make sure to send Harry a letter from France: it's his birthday in a week, so I'll be able to speak to him then.'

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Harry didn't know where he was when consciousness returned to him, though he _did_ feel embarrassed that he had fainted…and in the presence of the goblin leader no less, a being who had given Harry the time of day for their meeting and the right to be so formal with the leader as if they were old friends. Merlin's beard, he was becoming a real idiot and, on top of all that, he had barely said a word to Lady Romanov, his _grandmother_ and then he had replied by showing her that he was nothing but a coward who fainted just by meeting family.

"Are you all right little one?"

Cracking his eyes open, Harry was surprised to find said Lady sitting in a chair next to a bed that was in the corner of a room that looked like it belonged to someone of real nobility; she was still dressed in the teal gown and white accessories, though now, she was also holding what appeared to be a bowl that was filled with cold water.

In her other hand, Lady Romanov held a damp compress, which she lay over Harry's forehead, a sharp hiss of steam escaping the cloth as cold met surprisingly warm skin, Harry groaning as the contact actually stung him, his eyes closing once more to try and block out the pain.

"It's all right," Lady Romanov told him, "Just let it help you: you gave Ragnok and me quite a fright when you fainted, but then I felt your forehead and I knew what was happening."

"What…what is happening?" asked Harry, his voice cracking with a sense of dryness.

"Pre-Transformation Fever," Isabella told him, her hand stroking his black hair fondly as she added, "You remind me so much of Lily that it's scary Harry, but it's going to be okay: in the days before your first change, your body goes haywire and your temperature will either skyrocket or plummet to dangerous levels. If you weren't one of the lycanthropes, you'd most likely be sent into a shock-induced coma or worse…you'd die from hypo and hyperthermia."

"Lovely," Harry gasped, lifting a weak hand, his body actually feeling like he was in the fiery pit of a dragon's stomach as he added, "I'm…I'm honoured to…to meet you…at last…erm…Lady Romanov?"

"Call me Grams," she told him, "Or Isabella, whichever you want: I hope I'm okay calling you Harry," she added, a sly and humorous smile on her face.

With a weak laugh, Harry answered, "You are my grandmother, Isabella; where…where are we?"

"Romanov Manor," Isabella explained, her voice calm as she continued to dab Harry's heated forehead with the cold compress, the young wolf wincing at the opposite contact in temperatures. "Deep in the mountain regions of the French Alps: we're in an Unplottable location with Muggle repelling charms and access that can only be granted through the wards or Floo: the only people who could reach you are those who know what they're looking for. I've already keyed you into the wards as this is going to be your new home from here on in: you see Harry, before you fainted, Ragnok was meant to have told you that you are now Lord Romanov and I, as the last official blood relative of yours, am known now as Dowager Romanov. I am to become your legal guardian and help you through the stage of your first transformation, but before that, I think it best we talk a little more about what you've learned lately, wouldn't you agree?"

"Y-Yes," Harry gasped, his usual energy spikes clearly unable to help as Harry felt like he'd just sprinted from Land's End to John O Groats without stopping; realising then what he was missing, he asked, "What's…what's the date?"

"July 28th," Isabella explained, "You have three days yet Harry, but even on the day of your birthday, you'll need to stay in wolf form to give your mind, body and magic chances to get used to your new form."

"Stay in wolf form?" asked Harry, "You say that as if I have a choice to change between wolf and human."

"Well," Isabella replied, dabbing Harry's forehead, her eyes never leaving those of her grandson, "Given the type of wolf you are…you do."

Harry's world fell into darkness once again…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Harry was running…

He didn't know why he was running or where he was running to…

All he knew was the sound of his footsteps beneath his body, the feel of the branches of the trees around him as he raced through the Forest, the dense foliage and shortened tracks revealing the forest to be none other than the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts…

Around him, the night seemed to be endless, lost and cold within the grip of the darkness that became the night, the full moon shining down on Harry's back as the night moved to devour him, sealing him in its embrace…

Racing through the foliage, Harry didn't stop: not when the upturned root forced him to leap over the tree; not when the fallen tree forced him to tumble like an expert acrobatics performer; not even when the high log made him sweep under the bark, the warm, gravelly feeling of stone scraping against his back telling him that he was still moving…

No, instead, he kept moving and, just when the run, the endless flight through the Forest seemed to become never-ending and ever-darkening, a bright pinprick of light shone ahead and, as Harry continued his flight, the light seemed to be accompanied by a voice that whispered all around him;

'_Welcome…Childe of the Moon…your rebirth has been…long prophesised…_'

Despite the voice, Harry's flight continued to draw him towards the light, his breath stopping words from forming in his mouth; so, instead, with the run making Harry look like a member from the Chariots of Fire scene, he asked not with his lips, but with his mind, '_Who are you?_'

'_I am…the source of…your inner strength,_' the voice explained, the light growing brighter as Harry ran forwards, his legs carrying him towards the white, '_You have been…expected by many great clans and many…great leaders; the Child who can…end the curse; the Child…Silver…Blood…_'

'_Silver Blood?_' asked Harry, the light now overpowering the darkness of the Forbidden Forest, but still the darkness did not ease up, '_What's that?_'

'_A child of the moon…with power…like none other…_' the voice seemed eerie and almost entrancing, '_You are…the last son…of the Curse…and you have…been given the gift…bestowed by your predecessor…unto your current self._'

'_My predecessor?_' Harry's mind appeared to run as fast as his speed, '_Do you mean Grams Isabella?_'

'_Her,_' the voice told him, '_And your male predecessor…Nikolai Romanov…their unity created something…unique to the children of…the moon; by uniting the curse…with the blood of the curser…they healed Nikolai's curse…and now you…Childe…you bear that same gift. You are Noble, but bear the mantle of…Guardian Wolf; a Childe of the Magicks…and of the Moon…you…are…Silverblood!_'

'_But I don't understand,_' Harry argued, '_What is Silverblood and what does it have to do with the accident made by my ancestor?_'

'_The accident…was no accident,_' the voice told him, '_Fate did not ask…that the Skinwalker's Childe…died that night; betrayals and lies…by those trusted by…the Huntress Clans…caused the curse and now…by the same blood…half Magic and half Moon…the Curse has the chance…to be cleansed. Only then…can you become…what you were born…to be: Alpha Supreme…Lord of Lycans and Master…of the Moon…and I shall be there…to help you…my Childe._'

Realisation dawned on Harry and finally, after seemingly running for hours, he asked, '_Are you…my wolf?_'

His answer came in the form of a seemingly endless howl, white light consuming his vision as strength and energy coursed through his veins.

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

With a cry, Harry tore himself out of his bed, the soft touch of his Grams' hand on his shoulder reminding him where he was; looking to Isabella, Harry asked, "Isabella: what's a Silverblood?"

"It's what you are child," Isabella told him, "A Silverblood is a name given to the Chosen One: determined by fate, destiny or even the lineage, a Silverblood is born to become the Lycan Prince, Lord of the Moon and Alpha Supreme of the Clans."

"And this is why Mum had me seek you out?" asked Harry, flexing each of his muscles, a strange renewed strength flowing through him as he looked around his room, then noticing that his things were all stacked by his bed.

"Yes," Isabella replied, "To help you tame your powers and become stronger: for now, we need to learn how to tame your inner wolf and, as a Noble Guardian, a class of Wolf that has not been seen for over a hundred years, you have the skills necessary to do this."

With a sigh, Harry remembered his vision, if it was a vision, before he looked to a low, beautifully-crafted window where the moon was now shining through, its glare fixed on Harry like the eyes of a hawk. "How long do we have?"

Isabella smiled as she eased her grandson back onto the bed, her voice and her very presence soothing both man and beast inside Harry as he recognised kin and care being given, her voice whispering in his ear;

"24 hours…then the power will be yours…my little Lycan…"

**Chapter 2 and a mysterious vision, a new home and a family have Harry drawn to his destiny, but can he learn to tame the power within?**

**Plus, now that Harry has discovered his destiny, can he trust his friends with his secret or will they judge him on being the monster they've read about and not the man that Harry has become?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Harry undergoes his transformation and **_**likes**_** what he has become; also, Isabella has a nice plan for Harry's birthday that brings about a reunion of sorts; plus, while out in wolf form, Harry meets an unusual man who claims to have knowledge of the trials that the Silverblood will face: who is he and why does something about him strike Harry as familiar?**

**Please Read and Review…**


	3. The Beast Unleashed

Hungry Like The Wolf: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Plot: **Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you; oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above;

I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

_With a sigh, Harry remembered his vision, if it was a vision, before he looked to a low, beautifully-crafted window where the moon was now shining through, its glare fixed on Harry like the eyes of a hawk. "How long do we have?"_

_Isabella smiled as she eased her grandson back onto the bed, her voice and her very presence soothing both man and beast inside Harry as he recognised kin and care being given, her voice whispering in his ear;_

_"24 hours…then the power will be yours…my little Lycan…"_

Chapter 3: The Beast Unleashed

Twenty-four hours:

It seemed to be no time at all and yet, as the hours counted down, Harry found that this no time at all actually seemed to take forever to pass by: even though his fever had broken and he was able to explore the beauty and splendour of Romanov Manor and although his one wish was for the transformation to come and go so he could try and figure out how he was going to match his normal life with his wolf one, Harry still found time dragging by.

At one point, he gave a hollow laugh before he commented dryly, "Paint dries faster than this day seems to be progressing."

To kill time, Harry explored the manor in depth and detail, an air of surprise coming to him when he found that no door – save one, which led to Isabella's chambers – was locked to him and no access restricted. Isabella even let him out into the beautiful garden and courtyards on the east and west side of the manor. Most of the upper floor to the manor was composed of guest rooms and bathrooms, with the top-most floor being used for family chambers: Harry's room, bathroom and private study on one side while Isabella's was on the opposite side, both of their suites parted by the winding stairways of the manor.

Below the guest areas, Harry found a grand library that would have had Hermione foaming at the mouth in disbelief, though he did later learn that the size was there as a means of the Clans' Archives as well as the wizarding world's knowledge. Aside from the library, there was also a training room and meditation chamber that looked like a place out of a Japanese Zen area: it even had a babbling brook and a cherry-blossom tree blowing in a magically-summoned breeze.

The floor below that was devoted to socialising and relaxations: another, slightly larger, training room revealed a gymnasium and indoor sports court that could be used for physical practice as well as magical: the gymnasium was split into two areas: one being the classic look of weights, treadmills and step machines while the other looked more like a never-ending number of obstacle courses, climbing walls and what looked like a net and bicycle apparatus on the ceiling.

Asking Isabella the meaning behind this room, Harry listened as she explained, "Lycans have incredible agility and a sense of balance: some of them take these skills and link them with the pastime known as parkour, which allows them to practice acrobatic feats off walls, over beams and traverse distances with a leap from one obstacle to another. The bikes on the ceiling help with the strength of your arms and are actually part of the main obstacle course: in the past, some of our guests chose to use their hands on the beams that the bikes are linked to instead of the bikes themselves."

'Wow,' Harry thought, looking around the room, 'Looks like I may have found something to help tame my own agility that, for once, won't involve a broom and several shaped balls.'

Finally, beneath the gymnasium and training room floor – which also held a 'chill-out' room with a pool table, actual iced drinks machine and several large couches that made Harry think of the Gryffindor Common Room – there was the ground floor and, for it being in a manor house, it was pretty basic: two doors on either side of the entrance hall led out to the courtyard and gardens, with the main door leading to the mountain region outside. A fairly large dining hall and living room were on one side while on the other were a ballroom, which could be used for gatherings or parties, as well as a door that led down to a potions laboratory and rooms that, according to Isabella, were once used as dungeons and transformation rooms for the Old School Lycanthropes, but nowadays, they were used as rooms for storage and only used for changes if the wolf wished it.

By the time he'd finished the tour, Harry stood out in one of the gardens around the manor, his wolf senses breathing in the scent of the mountains: even from where he was standing, amidst the scents of the wild flowers and familiar sights of roses, bluebells, snowdrops and what looked like lily flowers, Harry could smell the wildlife in the mountains and, for a short second, he thought he smelled another wolf nearby. Deciding to check it out later, Harry returned to the warmth of his home and, peering at the clock, found it to be approaching seven pm, which meant that it was a few hours before his transformation.

"Harry?" Isabella's voice seemed to come from all around him, her tone echoing through the halls of the manor, "Can you come here please?"

Moving up towards the third floor training room – since not even an echo could fool a wolf's sense of smell – Harry found his grandmother preparing what looked like a dog's cushion, but it was very big and reminded Harry of a bean-bag cushion that someone would lounge on. Next to this, he noticed what appeared to be a stack of raw, bloody meat steaks and joints that, as soon as he set eyes on them, had his mouth watering and his stomach rumbling.

Trying to ignore his lupine instincts for now, Harry asked, "What's wrong Grams?"

"I just wanted to go through a few things before your change," Isabella told him, Harry leaning casually against one wall of the training room, his eyes watching his Grams working.

"First and foremost," Isabella explained, "It is important that you don't leave this room once you've transformed and you can't change back until I've come and told you: to do otherwise could damage the mental bond that links your mind to that of the wolf."

"O…kay," Harry drawled out, slightly worried at what his grandmother was hinting: if he did otherwise, he would lose the nobility that his wolf was part of and become the monster he'd read about. "What else?"

"When you change," Isabella explained, "You'll be hungry for raw meat, hence the pile I've left you: now, I've put a slightly milder version of what's known as a Gemino Curse on the meat so that you won't run out until you're either full or the counter spell is cast, which will be when I come and tell you that it's safe to change back. After tonight, you'll not only be able to tame the wolf's hunger for meat, but I'll also find some way to help you tame this hunger at Hogwarts. Now, I should also point out that the wildlife of the mountains out there is as much your prey as it is the prey of the other predators out there: after tonight, I'll let you hunt _once a month_, but no more: I don't want you depending on the wolf when the human in you can tame those instincts, okay?"

"Okay," Harry nodded, deciding to use the same allowance for Hogwarts: he'd either hunt in the Forest – if the inhabitants of that land didn't mind – or have a scout around the woods nearby.

"Finally," Isabella continued, "I know how brave you're being in facing this, so I have already made plans to celebrate your birthday with a little holiday after your transformation: I won't tell you where or why; I want it to be a surprise; so, while you're waiting for me to come and tell you it's safe to change back, I've left the lounge cushion in here for the wolf to curl up on and sleep once you've eaten your fill."

"How do you know I'll fall asleep?" asked Harry, eyes narrowed as the minutes passed by: it seemed that, the closer they got to transformation time, the more excitable he was feeling: he could actually feel his wolf side clawing and chomping at the bit, wanting out of its mortal shell. No doubt that, if Harry were a normal werewolf, he'd lose his mind to the wolf, but a Noble, as he'd learned, had full control over his instincts and his mind.

"Basic animal instinct," Isabella answered, "You'll change: you'll feed until you feel fit to burst and then the animal in you will want to rest after his meal; don't fight that as not only does the human you need rest, but, in wolf form, even that side will need to rest after roaming or hunting. Now, one last thing: when you change, your clothes will change with you: it's a magical effect that all Nobles and Guardians have unlike the cursed Lycanthropes out there better known as Wolf-Men. So, when you change back, you'll still be fully clothed and, if my theory is correct, you may want to change your style as well: anyway," patting down the large dog bed – as Harry would later call it – Isabella stood up and, with a sigh, she added, "The moon will rise soon, so you stay in here: while you wait, the wolf will start to grow strong. Don't be afraid of him, Harry: his true spirit will bow to your willpower, but you must have a strong mind and, remember, no matter what, don't change back."

"Until you've come to get me," Harry nodded, craning his neck and rotating his shoulders, "I got it: maybe you should go now then Grams: it's almost time."

Moving over to her grandson, Isabella gave him a warm hug, Harry practically drinking in the scent of the woods and the scent of what seemed to be bluebells that lingered around her, before she kissed him on the forehead and whispered, "Good luck."

Then she left the room and Harry heard the latch click, fully locking the door: no doubt, due to his transformation being its first and Harry's first experience at taming the wolf, Isabella didn't want Wolf-Harry getting any thoughts of breaking his word and trying to leave. Afterwards, Isabella would leave the door unlocked for Harry and allow him to move not only through the manor, but out into the mountains as he wished.

For Harry, sitting rather comfortably down on the dog-bed, it was now a case of playing the waiting game…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

It was ten minutes to midnight before Harry actually felt anything: it started out as a strange, almost numbing pulse of sorts that started out from inside his heart, his body temperature rising again, but not to dangerous levels. Instead, it just seemed to increase to match the power, energy and strength that would be felt by the new form that Harry was to take: in the midst of this warmth, Harry gasped as, instead of ear-splitting cracks of un-earthly pain, there was only a feeling like his body was being moulded by clay and, as he watched, his body began to change.

It started with his feet and legs, his trousers and shoes vanishing just like Isabella had said, thick, coarse _raven-black_ hairs sprouting from his skin and covering his body, his feet extending to the equivalent of a size 15 foot, his joints in his toes and feet popping as the wolf's powerful leg muscles and feet…or paws began to take their shape.

Already, Harry could feel his mind being infused with the wolf's, his instincts seeing the world as the wolf saw it: he saw his paws take their shape and, for a second, his somewhat frail human self seemed to double over as his human forepaws – hands – also matched his feet, with the exception that his forepaws seemed to extend their tips into thick, gnarled claws that were tipped with stone-grey nails, his arms growing in strength, the raven-black hair now covering his shoulders, chest and abdomen, all of which were growing with tremendous force.

His face appeared to shift and contort, his muzzle growing outwards and replacing his human jaws with the powerful, bloodthirsty and deadly-when-angered jaws of the wolf, his human teeth being replaced by sharp wolf fangs that drooled with saliva, his tongue testing the sharpness and strength of the fangs.

His ears appeared to slide up to the upper-most sides of his head, their tips becoming tapered like an elf's as they took their new wolf shape: his eyes watered for a long moment, Harry the wolf whining pitifully as he used his forepaws to wipe the tears away, but, when he did, he saw the world as the wolf truly saw it.

Auras and mysterious trails of colour filled an otherwise black and white vision, a strange hue around the edge of his vision that matched the trails that spawned outwards around him. With these mysterious sights, Harry the wolf lifted his head and sniffed at the air, the trails moving towards his face as if intensifying their flavour inside him.

With a growl, he knew those trails for what they were, 'Scents,' he thought, his human, more Noble side showing its face as he glanced around the room; while the change had been happening physically, Harry had also been growing and now stood a shade under 8 feet tall, his head not even brushing the ceiling as he tried to adjust to his new muscles, bones and instincts. The scents around him seemed to entice the wolf inside, but, as Harry let his body land on his forepaws, he nosed the ground and tried to identify them for what they were; the strong scent of nature and bluebells told him the scent of his kin, his pack elder, his Grams.

There was also a strong, almost crushed walnut and polished oak scent that Harry knew to be that of the house itself: his den, his pack's nesting grounds. Overlaying all this, however, there was a very familiar scent that had the drool leaking from Harry's jaws increase in force, a puddle forming beneath him: a delicious, tangy, coppery scent that had his stomach and his instincts – both human and wolf – crying out in hunger.

It was the scent of a fresh, bloody kill and it was _very_ close by; turning his sharp eyes upon the pile of meat, Harry was in agreement with one thing that the wolf in him demanded:

'Dinner is served.'

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

It surprised the wolf side of Harry that, as soon as he had cleansed the site of the kill of its carrion meat, more just appeared and the scent of fresh blood had Harry feeding again, those fangs and claws tearing into the kill with a predator's art. He didn't know how long he feasted, but Harry did start to feel his human self rearing its head again as the wolf side of him was appeased, the hunger in him satisfied by the mysterious magical pile of meat; the more that Harry's human side started to appear, the more he found himself impressed with the power of the wolf.

It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before: like someone had taken a bolt of lightning and sent it flying into his heart, his strength and power increasing ten-fold as the wolf's instincts tore into the meat and left nothing but dregs and scraps of blood and meat littering the floor. His strength was incredible and, though he couldn't really move for the wolf's wishes to feed, Harry did know that the wolf possessed the same amazing strength and agility that he had been told about.

Finally, with the wolf – and Harry's – appetites sated, Harry sighed as he felt the beast inside him submit to the Noble bloodline that it was sired by; while the wolf body moved to the dog-bed to rest, deep inside his mind, Harry felt the bestial instincts take the form of a mental wolf image, the wolf lying down and rolling over onto his back, exposing his belly in submission to the stronger mind.

Recalling his vision, Harry's mental self, shown as his true human self, sat down next to the wolf and soothed it with gentle strokes, his voice soft as he whispered, '_Good boy: I respect your form and your power: it is glorious and I am proud to bear such strength in the name of my pack._'

'_Now,_' the wolf seemed to respond, the same voice from the vision coming back to Harry, the mind of the wolf linked with his in almost-perfect synch, '_You are reborn Childe: together, our strength and our mind shall aid the clans and end the curse that haunts us: you willingly let me feed and, in this mental state, I submit all my power to you. You are the Alpha here and my strength, power and instincts are yours childe: use them well._'

Before Harry could say anything else, the wolf spirit seemed to transform into a small, tennis-ball-sized sphere of silver light that rose from the mental ground and, hovering before Harry, it moved into his hands, Harry using his hands to push the wolf soul into his body, the strength of mind, body and magic growing as the two became one.

The last thing Harry heard from the wolf was the words, '_Good luck with your destiny…young Prince Silverblood._'

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

When morning came, Isabella moved from her chambers and made her way down to the training room where her little cub was resting, the soft sounds of almost bestial snoring coming from the other side; slowly and quietly opening the door, Isabella smiled as she saw Harry the wolf curled up on the dog bed, one of his clawed hands clenched against the cushion while the rest of him appeared to be at peace.

As she approached him, Isabella thought about the plans that she had made for Harry: to transform on his birthday was tough for him, but he was a noble and what the Clans called a Silverblood and so, as that title suggested, he had to control the wolf and let his human soul banish the beast as silver would banish a werewolf.

When she'd had the vision of Harry leading the packs and showing that even a werewolf was someone who deserved respect to those of the human wizards who thought otherwise, she hadn't wanted to believe it. But then she'd reunited with Lily and had seen it again: the one who would lead, who would become the ultimate Alpha Male, was none other than a member of her own bloodline.

Now, in the days before she'd met with her grandson, Isabella had seen other things that she didn't tell Harry: at least…not yet anyway; to say that, it didn't make her like the manipulative one who thought Harry the source of a self-fulfilling prophecy. No, she did it because she wanted Harry to know he had the power, the strength and the will to lead his forces and meet with those who would stand and howl at his side: in a way, Harry would also repair the relations between people like Isabella – the ancient Enchanters and Summoners of the Old Ones – and the people of the Lycan Nation: this was the destiny that she, as one in touch with the powers of Fate, had truly foreseen.

She wasn't like the fraud who'd said that Harry would have to die before the darkness would be defeated;

No, to fulfil what she saw, Harry wouldn't have to die: in fact, he would have to rise like the phoenix from the ashes…

And when he rose, he would soar higher than anyone has ever done before him…

With a soft smile, Isabella leaned down and, running a soft hand through Harry's raven-black fur, she whispered, "Little one: it's safe to change back now."

Harry, hearing her in both mind and body, opened one sharp yellow-coloured eye and, lifting his head, actually gave a dog-like yawn before, within seconds, the wolf was sent back to the human that it had come from within and Harry, standing up, ran a hand over his shoulders and neck, working out stiffness in his joints as he asked, "What time is it?"

"Half past eleven," Isabella explained, "On August first; you've slept for two days straight: how was it?"

"Like nothing I've ever felt before," Harry replied, stretching his limbs to get the blood flowing as he then put a hand on his heart, "Even now…I can still feel my wolf side; it's like a loyal puppy knowing that I can and will let it out again when I want to."

"Then your change was successful," Isabella laughed, ruffling Harry's black hair as she added, "Now, to celebrate, how about we go and have breakfast and then, little wolf, you can clean up the blood stains in this room."

Looking around, Harry saw the remnants of his feeding frenzy from the night before last, blood streaks and spatters covering the walls as he laughed and, with an almost guilty rub of his neck, he asked, "Guess I went overboard a bit huh?"

"Nothing a normal wolf wouldn't do," Isabella told him, leading Harry out of the training room and down towards the ground floor, "But I don't need my gift to see that, by the time you're done here, that friend of yours will have already cleaned it up for you."

Harry didn't need to ask who she was talking about: his wolf ears had picked up the sound of a familiar pop entering the training room;

Looks like he'd have to thank Dobby for his continued loyalty towards Harry…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

While Isabella ate breakfast – as, remarkably, Harry wasn't hungry after his change: he must have eaten more than he thought – Harry's mind turned to what had happened and the things he had felt, seen and sensed: the mind of his wolf side had been strong, but, like in his vision, it had recognised him as the superior essence and submitted to him.

Then, when the submission had been accepted, Harry had seemingly absorbed the soul of the wolf, making their mind and body one in every aspect of the sense; clearly, this was the reason that his Grams had said that his transformation was a success: as a Noble, he had the power to change back and into the wolf at will. With the soul submitting to him, Harry had clearly taken in that power and now, the strength of the wolf moved through him even in human form.

The only thing he had to worry about now was how his friends would react to the new and improved Harry Potter in their classes and in their dorms; more than anything, Harry actually hoped that they'd be able to look past the wolf and still see their friend. Especially Hermione: she was always there for him in the past and he didn't really want that to change.

'That's weird,' he thought, his hand now massaging his heart: when he'd thought about Hermione, the wolf in him had growled and, dare he think it, but the creature had actually sounded like it was content with the thoughts of Hermione, 'She's my friend, but what does the wolf see in her?'

On the other hand, Harry reasoned, he was more worried about a certain red-haired member of Gryffindor…and…

'There it is again,' he thought, though this time, with thoughts of the young man he'd called one of his best friends, the wolf's growl was threatening and protective, as if it had sensed a threat to its pack or its cubs. 'Could my instincts feel something that I haven't seen? I guess I'll have to keep an eye on them both and see for myself.'

His wolf instincts seemed perfectly content with that decision…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Harry didn't know where they were going: all he knew was that, as soon as they were ready, Isabella had given him a blindfold and told him not to take it off until she'd given him permission. She also told him that if he tried to guess their location with those Lycan senses of his, then he was grounded for the rest of the summer: whether it was because of the family-like environment that Harry was experiencing, or just because he was content to leave it to the surprise, Harry didn't know.

Yet, he obeyed her request and, in his mind, he seemed to close a door to his wolf senses, ignoring a feeling of a pull against his navel as well as the sounds of busy streets, cars and carriages passing them.

All he focused on was his Grams' hand guiding him, though he didn't manage to ignore the gasps that he heard around them: wherever they were, it was obviously somewhere with people that either recognised him or Isabella. Finally, Isabella told Harry to stop and, at the edge of his hearing, he heard a door closing before Isabella told him, "Okay: take off the blindfold."

Lifting his hand, Harry removed the blindfold and what he saw before him had a gasp of awe and grateful emotions escaping him: he was standing, with Isabella, on the edge of a _very_ popular French landmark, the door behind him having been the doors of an elevator. Before him, the summer sun seemingly making it glow, was the Paris Cityscape and, as he looked around, he saw Isabella hand him a gift that was wrapped up pretty well, her arm around his shoulders as she told him, "Happy birthday Harry."

"Thanks Grams," Harry laughed, opening his present: inside was a beautifully-crafted and hand-woven silk and leather jacket that, when Harry lifted it out, he noticed it fell to the ground in length like an overcoat or a duster. Engraved on the lapel of the coat were the crescent moon and wolf fang of the Romanov Crest with the initial HJP over the crossed symbols instead of the Romanov R; on the back of the coat was a long silver dragon with eyes, fangs and claws that shone with precise detail that it looked almost alive.

Slipping the coat around her grandson, Isabella smiled as she looked him over: he looked every inch a member of the nobles now and, with the coat practically hugging his recently-transformed physique, no-one would guess that he was stronger than he looked.

To finish the look, Isabella reached into the box that had held the coat and withdrew a gold ring with a silver and diamond head in the shape of the Romanov Cross; sliding it onto Harry's finger, Isabella smiled as she told him, "There you go: now you are officially Lord Romanov."

"I hope I can make the family proud, Isabella," Harry laughed, hugging his grandmother tight, his eyes streaming tears at the surprise: it was very nice indeed.

Isabella, sensing his thoughts, smiled slyly as she then heard another gasp and, looking past Harry, whispered, "The surprise isn't over, Harry."

Before Harry could ask what she meant by that, a very familiar voice had him stopping dead in any actions he wanted to, a feeling of warmth and strength rising inside him as the voice asked, "Harry…is…is that you?"

Turning to look over his shoulder, Harry saw a fairly young-looking woman with sandy-blonde hair and dark brown eyes, dressed in a white tracksuit with the jacket held over one arm, standing next to a man with brown hair and dark green eyes, a pair of wire-frame sunglasses sitting on his head, the man dressed in denim jeans and a white, short-sleeved t-shirt.

However, it was the young girl between them that had spoken and, as soon as he saw her, Harry had the distinct impression that he'd been set-up for this: after all, his Grams _was_ a Seer, so if this was a surprise and a joke, then it was certainly funny, and the surprise was well-planned.

A bushy-brown-haired girl with chocolate brown eyes and rather large front teeth was staring at him in shock, the girl dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a sleeveless top with what appeared to be a rose and a butterfly printed on the front. Judging by her tanned appearance, she had been here for some time, but, right now, her eyes were wide and she was actually shocked to see him.

Moving over to her, Harry gave a warm smile, his own emerald eyes shining in the sunlight as he shrugged and answered her, "Er…hi, Hermione: surprise?"

Hermione Granger stared from Harry to the lady at his side, her parents actually pleased to meet the man who had become one of their daughter's friends, but, as Hermione looked back, she had to shake her head before she asked, "What…what are _you_ doing here?"

"On holiday," Harry replied, the two friends now inches apart as he asked, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Oh…" Hermione remarked, realising that in her shock, she'd forgotten basic information, "Mum, Dad; meet Harry Potter: my best friend and someone I'm actually stunned to see; Harry, meet my Dad, Daniel Granger and my Mum, Emma Granger: now it's your turn."

"Hermione," Harry replied, trying his hardest not to laugh as he could actually smell her shock and yet he could also tell she was happy to see him, "Mr Granger, Mrs Granger: allow me to introduce Dowager Isabella Selene Romanov: my…my grandmother."

The surprises clearly weren't over yet…

**Chapter 3 and friends have been reunited, Harry's inner self has recognised its real master and Harry has told Hermione of his family being alive: what will the backlash from this be and did Isabella plan it or is it all just coincidence?**

**Also, how will Harry's wolf side take to life in the mountains and why did it react to Harry's thoughts about his friends?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Time in Paris brings questions from Hermione and partial answers from Harry, but it's not all good news as they spend some time back at the manor; when bad news strikes, Harry takes to the mountains in his new form and, in the midst of his depressive state, meets an unusual man who claims to have knowledge of the trials that the Silverblood will face: who is he and why does something about him strike Harry as familiar?**

**Please Read and Review…**

**AN: Here is where the first change should be noticed: when Harry – and other Alphas – change, they're NOT like Remus was in the movie, but more like Underworld's Lycans.**

**AN 2: The second change from the original version is an explanation I should give now: the warmth Harry feels is a connection to one whom the wolf has chosen as his Omega.**


	4. Good News, Bad News

Hungry Like The Wolf: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Plot: **Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you; oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above;

I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

_'There it is again,' he thought, though this time, with thoughts of the young man he'd called one of his best friends, the wolf's growl was threatening and protective, as if it had sensed a threat to its pack or its cubs. 'Could my instincts feel something that I haven't seen? I guess I'll have to keep an eye on them both and see for myself.'_

_His wolf instincts seemed perfectly content with that decision…_

Chapter 4: A Good News, Bad News Situation

"Grandmother?"

Departing from the observation platform on the Eiffel Tower, Harry and Hermione had been led by their adult chaperones to a nearby café where the two teens were drinking ice-cold sodas while the adults shared a coffee. Harry and Hermione, apparently at the request of Isabella, had their own table and were now discussing what had been revealed up on the Tower.

"That's right," Harry answered, a small part of him feeling the warmth and contentment of the wolf inside him: something about being around Hermione was soothing the beast, keeping him at bay. Harry would discover what it was later, but for now, he was happy to be around his best friend and on holiday in the most beautiful city in the world. "My Mother's Mother; you see, Hermione, the Romanov bloodline, my Grams' bloodline, is actually pureblood and the daughter of the very bloodline that I now represent. Nearly a week ago, I was given a letter by Petunia Dursley that revealed everything for me and, well, after a rather interesting trip to Gringotts, I met my Grams and she took me into my family's ancestral home in the south of France."

"Romanov…" Hermione muttered, her eyes going into what Harry had always referred to as research mode, "The name sounds familiar."

"It's nothing to do with the infamous Russian Tsar," Harry laughed, knowing without asking what Hermione was referring to: it was one of the few things he'd learned while exploring the manor. "That name was actually used because my great-grandfather was good friends with the head of the Tsars' families."

"Blimey," Hermione gasped, looking Harry up and down as she added, "And I also see that your Grams has been keeping you fit: Harry, you look like you've been attending a gym for years."

'You have no idea,' Harry laughed to himself, his voice calm as he explained, "Isabella's quite the expert with nutritional practices: she healed my eyesight, put muscle back on my body and gave me a home that I love. Hermione, I've never felt as happy as the moment I woke up in our home and found that I'd never have to go back to the Dursleys ever again."

He intentionally left out the parts about him telling Petunia to run and also the fact that he'd fainted when they'd met: besides, if this had been different, Harry knew that what he'd just told Hermione would be exactly the same thing he'd say about getting a home away from Vernon, Petunia and Dudley.

"So…if you live in France, then what are you doing here in Paris?" asked Hermione, laughing now as she asked, "I know you haven't really been anywhere before Harry, but why Paris?"

"Grams' idea," Harry told her, "It was meant to be a surprise, but…" Here, he beckoned Hermione closer, his voice dropping to a near-whisper as he explained, "Between you and me, Hermione, I think Isabella planned this: she has Seer capabilities in her lineage and it wouldn't surprise me if she'd had a vision of you being here."

Hermione looked intrigued…then she laughed as she asked, "To say that makes it sound like our meeting was set-up?"

"Are you complaining?" asked Harry, taking a long drink from his soda, the fizzing of the bubbles making his wolf tongue tingle as he looked to Hermione, the warmth inside him still there all the while.

"I guess not," Hermione sighed, taking her own drink while, as if hinted by Isabella's talents, Dan and Emma chose that moment to return from their own table, Harry leaning one arm over the back of the chair as he looked to his Grams.

Isabella appeared to look guilty as she explained, "Do you know something, Harry? I planned this holiday for you and yet forgot the one thing that matters most of all: the hotel."

"To err is human," Harry remarked, looking to his Grams as he tried his hardest not to laugh, "What are we going to do?"

"Well, I've been talking with Dan and Emma," Isabella explained, "And, if Hermione's all right with it, I think it would be nice for the two of you to spend some time at the manor together: there's a stable nearby and a skiing school not far from the manor that you two can go to."

"Sounds like fun," Harry reasoned, tugging the collar of his new coat as he rose and, leaving a tip for the waiter, approached Isabella before he asked in a hushed voice, "You planned this, didn't you?"

"I have no influence over your decisions, Harry," Isabella replied, her eyes sparkling as she addressed him, "Only the events that act as the foundations for those decisions."

Escorting the Grangers back to their hotel so that they could check out and gather their things for the move to the manor, Harry just shook his head in amusement: his new life was many things, but with Isabella watching over him and his alter-ego giving him strength and power, it certainly wasn't boring;

Not any more…

'Yet,' he thought, his eyes darkening with thought, 'What is it about Hermione that sets off the wolf within me?'

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

After a few days, Harry found himself able to forget the dilemma concerning his inner beast's reactions to his best friend and, instead, the two of them spent their time enjoying the manor and all that it had to offer. In this time, Isabella introduced Harry and Hermione to another magical settlement near to the southern border and both of them managed to not only learn a little more history and assistance with their summer homework tasks, but Harry also acquired a new wand: hawthorn with nightshade and dragon scale, 11 inches.

With this new wand, as well as the resources gathered from the manor, Harry soon got back into the routine of doing magical work as well as helping out whenever he could around the manor house; Hermione was rather surprised when he revealed that Dobby had chosen to become Harry's elf and, when he explained that he accepted because he wanted Dobby to be with someone he could trust, Hermione accepted that.

Two days before the Grangers were set to return, however, all Harry's light and good feelings regarding his friend and the future with his secret – as he had planned on telling Hermione before they returned to Hogwarts – went down the drain with but a simple conversation.

They were both studying up on new Defence techniques in the library when Harry, with but one look at the brown-haired girl at his side, felt the familiar stirrings inside him rising again, but this time, as he looked at Hermione, Harry found himself more drawn to her scent: Hermione smelled like a blend of fresh mint and new parchment, but there was something else.

A strange, mixed scent that was almost a cross between coconut and the scent of dust and silk mixed together; narrowing his eyes, Harry cleared his throat before he asked, "So, any plans for the rest of the summer?"

"I heard that Ron and his family won a holiday to Egypt," Hermione noted and, no sooner had she mentioned the third part of the Golden Trio than Harry's inner self had reared his head again, the threatening growl now like the sound of approaching thunder in Harry's mind. "He sent me a letter the day we arrived in France saying that he'd meet me in Diagon Alley in the last week: maybe," she then added, looking to Harry's eyes, "You should join us: I'm sure Isabella won't mind."

"I don't doubt that," Harry agreed, settling his eyes back on his studying, but he couldn't get the feeling out of his head: something about Hermione was driving the inside of him completely bonkers. "I also think it would be nice to see the Weasleys again, especially the Twins: I've missed their fun and games."

"I've missed Ron," Hermione noted, Harry then getting that warning feeling again; Hermione seemed to be almost fixated with him, "Every time I look in a Quidditch shop or a chess game, I think of him."

"But you hate flying," Harry reminded her, his eyes narrowed as he added, "And why would Quidditch make you think of Ron? You're the one who says that our studies are important."

"Oh, they are," Hermione agreed, "But…well, I don't…I don't know if…if I should be telling you this…but…Ron, well he…he asked me out."

Harry's heart suddenly became an icy tomb, his eyes closed as he tried to keep the instincts of his inner self at bay: just those words seemed enough for Harry to feel the need to investigate these warnings…and then there was that smell again: coconut and dust-ridden silk.

With a shaky voice, he nodded and told her, "What…what did you tell him? Not that it's any of my business."

"Well," Hermione smiled, her eyes on Harry: they were filled with a sense of guilt that was only overridden by delight: as if she'd wanted to say this for a long time, "I…I said yes: after all, he risked his life for me and helped you against those spiders."

"Acromantulas," Harry told her, now rising from his seat and, slowly moving away, he added, "You two deserve one another: if it wasn't for Ron flying the car in the first place, we'd have never gotten away."

"Well," Hermione scoffed and her next words made Harry stop dead, "It _was_ your idea in the first place to fly the car to school."

The quill that Harry had been holding suddenly snapped clean in two, the pieces floating to the floor while Harry, taking deep, shuddering breaths, hissed, "It…it was Ron's idea actually: I just said we should wait by the car. I even had to remind him that most Muggles aren't used to a Flying car."

"Well that just proves it," Hermione giggled, a school-girl-like tone coming over her, "Ron's a genius and he needs a genius as his girl."

"Hermione!" cried Harry; something was definitely wrong here and it wasn't just that Hermione was, for some unknown reason, buying Ron's lies: why was he lying in the first place? "What's happened to you?"

"Nothing Harry," Hermione told him, "I just know that Ron's going to pick things up and…"

"And insult you some more because of your studies and the way you do things?"

"He's just joking," Hermione laughed, "Come on mate!"

A snarl left Harry's lips and, as he turned, his heart felt heated again, his eyes now shining less emerald and more golden colour; it was as if Hermione's last comment had snapped what control Harry held over the wolf.

"This isn't you," Harry told her, "Hermione: one, you never call anyone mate and two, you've always said that our actions were reckless: I'm not jealous because I thought Ron a good mate, but you? Hermione, ever since I first saw you a few days ago, I've felt things and…I can't explain them, but…"

"It's all right, Harry," Hermione sighed, "I'm sure Ginny will be delighted to…"

She didn't get to finish: Harry's clothes suddenly vanished under a partially-transformed body of black fur, his eyes still filled with feral rage as his claws and fangs revealed themselves, Harry's rage fuelling his transformation and, all the while, his eyes and his gaze just wouldn't leave Hermione.

Seeing the change before her…as well as the thing that her best friend was becoming, Hermione did the only thing she could:

She screamed…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Hermione's screams echoed around the manor and around inside Harry's head as his body became that of the wolf: he wouldn't hurt her, but her admittance – whatever the reason was – for being in love with Ron and wanting to go out with him: both he and the wolf had sensed that this was wrong.

The humiliation, anger towards this unexplained difference to what Harry had always seen as hopeless and, above all, the feeling of his heart being shattered by Hermione's admittance: all these things had brought on the change.

When Hermione had screamed, Harry's Noble side had managed to pierce the feral veil of emotions that had clouded his mind and, crouching low, he'd taken off out of the library and down through the house, passing a shocked Isabella and a rather stunned Dan and Emma, the wolf's strength forcing the door open and leading Harry out into the mountains, a late evening sky thankfully obscuring him from the view of innocent bystanders.

Back at the manor, Isabella reached Hermione first and, as she looked to the young girl, the elder Enchantress picked up on the difference in the room almost immediately: she could feel Harry's rage and a sense of magic at work here.

Looking to Hermione, who was being comforted by her parents, Isabella told them, "Perhaps we should start telling each other the truth from now on."

Even as the Grangers agreed with that, Isabella's mind and perceptive senses showed her a vision of the future thanks to this moment and, if she didn't repair this with both her grandson and the distraught young woman in front of her, then that future would come to pass.

And Harry, who was now roaming the mountainside with feral rage and sadness fuelling his steps, wouldn't last the rest of the summer or, if he was lucky, the third year of his school before Isabella's vision came true;

And Harry allowed the wolf to take him over completely…before an unknown figure put him down, calling him the dog that he was…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

A waning crescent moon was in the sky overhead by the time Harry had let his energy run dry, his senses coming back to him as the werewolf side of him paced through the rocky mountains, the snowy caps of the French Alps crunching underfoot. He didn't know what he'd done: he had been too blinded by the red veil that had settled over him, but now, slowly retracing his steps back towards the manor, Harry felt an unexplainable weight of guilt and, now that the beast was calm, the human could think clearly.

Hermione loved Ron and wanted to go out with him…now, Harry could understand that if it wasn't for the fact that Ron had near to nothing in common with Hermione: he loved flying; she hated it; he hated doing strenuous work and instead focused on Hermione doing it for him while she earned her grades and her points. He seemed content to insult her and cause arguments, which she gave back in force: about the only thing that they did have in common was their friendship with Harry.

Even still, Harry couldn't understand what had brought Hermione to say that and now, with his paws moving him back through the mountains, he still couldn't come to a conclusion. Deciding that a slightly longer return would help to ease his aching heart and his broken train of thoughts, Harry shifted back into human form and continued on foot, his shoes digging into the now rocky ground with ease. As he crested over a rise in the mountain, Harry then saw something rather odd not a few feet in front of him.

It looked like a camper, but Harry was certain that the route he'd taken hadn't crossed paths with any campers, yet there it was: a roaring campfire with two stools either side of it and an iron kettle next to the fire. In one of the stools, there sat a man who had Harry's senses on high alert: the man held a scent of a predator, yet, from his appearance, the young wolf thought him harmless and a mere traveller.

He was dressed in what appeared to be hand-crafted wool trousers and sandals that exposed tan-skinned feet; his chest was covered by a light brown, sleeveless shirt with a shawl covering his shoulders and arms like a cloak. Around his neck, the man was wearing a necklace of some sort and, as he approached, Harry noticed a red headband tied around a head of dark, auburn-coloured hair.

The man hadn't seemed to notice him, but Harry was cautious: mostly because of the dagger that was attached over one of the man's shoulders and the longbow at his side, a quiver of arrows that looked ready to fly and appeared so sharp that they could pierce a man's skull.

Deciding to move away from the man, not wanting to disturb him, Harry went to turn away when a voice that sounded like a descendant of Native American asked, "Are you going to stand there watching me all night childe? Come; sit by the fire with me: I will not harm a son of the spirits."

Again, Harry was cautious as he accepted the man's invitation, though he moved to the opposite side of the campfire, sitting in the stool on the other side and, as he did, he then noticed the man's face: sharp jade-green eyes stared out from under the headband that the man was wearing and in the centre of the band, Harry saw a feather that looked like it belonged to a bird of prey.

Pretending to clear his sinuses, Harry sniffed up, trying to sense any threats other than the approaching darkness around them, but all he smelled was the bird of prey's scent that came from the headband. He had been right about guessing a necklace as the man was wearing a thick leather neck-chain with a pendant in the shape of a falcon, which probably explained the feather on his band as well.

His train of thought was distracted as the man spoke again, "I tell you again childe; you have nothing to fear from this old man: the spirits spoke of your presence in the mountains and…here we are: allow me to introduce myself. I am Peregrine; a man of the magic and spirits of this world and the next, but you and the normal wizards would call me a Skinwalker."

"Harry Potter," Harry answered, watching Peregrine warily: it had been the lies and distress of his ancestors that led to Skinwalkers cursing his male predecessors with this power, "And, if you knew I would be here, then you know what I am."

"The Silverblood," Peregrine nodded, "The son of the moon with the rare gift of controlling your change and the one whom Fate has decided shall restore the glory of your kin and lead the Lycan Nation: yes, I know of you, Harry Potter: I am honoured to meet you."

Something about Peregrine actually had Harry picking up an air of familiarity with the man: as if they had met somewhere before, perhaps just by passing in the street or somewhere else, but _something _was familiar.

Peregrine, with a smile that actually seemed to assure Harry that he was going to keep his word and keep his weapons where they were, then picked up the kettle as he asked, "Would you like some of my special herbal tea? It's good for the soul."

"Thank you," Harry replied, watching as Peregrine poured a mysterious sapphire-coloured liquid into two wooden cups, before he passed one to Harry: cautiously, Harry sniffed at the blend and was surprised as to what he was smelling: crushed snowdrops with buttercup pollen and what actually smelled like black forest fruits. Taking a cautious sip, Harry actually gagged, before swallowing hard and nodding, "That's quite nice: did you make it?"

"The recipe has been with my kind for centuries," Peregrine told him, "It's actually a more natural form of what wizards would call a Calming Draught, except this one is better used on Skinwalkers and kind like us due to the effect it has on mental strengths and spiritual connections. Even now, you will no doubt feel the beast beneath your skin going back into his den, yes?"

Harry did indeed feel it…so he nodded; it was incredible: it was like he'd told the wolf to heel while he decided to walk to a house six miles away and, when he looked back, the wolf was still heeled.

"Why did you say that you were waiting for me?" asked Harry, remembering then what Peregrine had said about the spirits.

"Because I feel that I must warn you, Harry Potter," Peregrine explained, his voice as mystical as ever, "Of a betrayal that will come very soon; a betrayal and a choice, which may affect your very future. Only by repairing what has been broken can you hope to have the right sort of assistance in the trials that are to come."

Harry swallowed the mouthful of drink he had taken while Peregrine had been speaking, his hand thumping against his chest as he asked, "You waited for me to warn me that I will be betrayed?"

"Not will be," Peregrine told him, "You already have been: what once was as clear as a pool of crystal is now like shattered glass and only by restoring the crystal can you overcome the betrayal. Just think on this, Harry Potter: not all is as it seems and the answer sometimes cannot be found by sight alone."

"Okay," Harry sighed, his voice now calm as he asked, "But what do you, specifically, have to do with me? If you have waited for me here at the request of the spirits, then my question is…why?"

"To help you," Peregrine explained, "Things have been set in motion that can only be changed by your hand and soon, the greatest evil in your life shall reveal itself to you. But you shouldn't be worried, for I have been told to let you know that another will join your quest."

"Another," Harry remarked, his voice laced with scepticism as he asked, "Another wizard?"

"No," Peregrine answered, "Another like you, Harry Potter: another werewolf who will play an essential role in what is to come; now," here, he shrugged his shoulders and gave Harry that smile again, "Don't simply think that I am an old man here to give bad news: no, as I said before, Harry, there is more here than meets the eye. Tell me: how is Isabella?"

"You…you know her?"

"We've met," Peregrine actually seemed to stare off into the distance as if he was reminiscing, "And I have no doubt in my mind that the part of her that seeks you to mend the bridges that were broken by her loving to Nikolai will reveal itself: when it does, I hope you can make the right choice and not repeat the mistakes of old."

"Wow," Harry laughed, his eyes on Peregrine now, "But…if I may ask: what do you want with me? You, specifically?"

"Perhaps I am what you might call…a guide," Peregrine explained, "Or perhaps I am here to help you along your path: all I know is that…" here, he reached behind his back and withdrew his dagger, Harry slowly rising from his seat as Peregrine flipped his dagger round and offered its handle to Harry, the head of the dagger shaped like a falcon's head. "If you wish to continue down the path you started before the darkness clouded your eyes and your heart, then you should take this: it will help you when the time is right."

Extending his hand, Harry heard Peregrine mutter a soft incantation, a white spark shooting down the blade and handle of the dagger before he held it out to Harry, the young wolf accepting the blade with a strong hand, his eyes narrowed as he explained, "I don't know who you are, Peregrine, or what you could want with me, but if you say that this can help me…then I accept your gift: I will treasure this dagger with respect and honour. If you are, as you say, my guide, then will that mean that we shall meet again?"

"Perhaps it will," Peregrine nodded, Harry strapping the dagger to his belt as he nodded to Peregrine, "But that will have to wait: for now, I think you should be getting on home, little pup and never forget what I've told you."

Thanking him, Harry turned and, leaving the cup behind, he made his way down the mountainside towards Romanov Manor: as he got to the bottom, he turned back and looked to the spot where Peregrine had been camped;

Mysteriously, the Skinwalker had completely vanished, leaving no sign, sight, sound, smell or trace that he was there in the first place;

Except for the dagger, which glinted in the moonlight as Harry turned back, continuing on his way home…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Harry returned to a sombre mood at Romanov Manor, his senses on high alert as he saw Hermione looking somewhere between sorry and shocked, Dan and Emma both watching him warily while Isabella was smiling, relieved that he was all right.

"Hey," he commented dryly, "I think we need to talk."

"No need, Harry," Hermione explained, "Isabella explained everything and, after a while, I realised that you kept the secret to protect me: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"That's okay Hermione," Harry replied, his chest rising as he let out a sigh and sniffed once, but, as he did, he noticed something that was different: Hermione's scent of coconut and dusty silk was now gone from her, leaving only the scent of parchment and fresh mint: Harry also noticed that both Dan and Emma held scents like a dentist's surgery, which wasn't surprising and his Grams held her usual bluebell scent.

Even as this thought hit him, Harry also sensed something else in the air: an emotional scent of shock, horror, anger and, surprisingly, guilt that all came from Hermione, the guilt directed to Harry, but the other three appeared to be lost elsewhere. Keeping his voice calm, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"We found out why Hermione was worshipping everything about your Weasley friend," Isabella explained, "There was an obedience potion mixed into a special shampoo that she'd been sent by Mr Weasley: Harry," she appeared to look into her grandson's eyes before she continued, "There was also something similar locked in your trunk: a foul-smelling deodorant."

"I remember," Harry nodded, recalling a mysterious parcel he'd found on the second day of the holidays, "I've never worn it, but are you saying that my friend wanted to drug my best friend and me?"

"I can't understand the reason," Hermione explained, "But I have a good idea: you see, Harry, when he asked me out at the start of the holidays, I told him that there was no chance and he…he said that no-one else would have me."

"Well that's not true," Harry replied, his calming meeting with Peregrine and his emotions returning to human helping him say the words, "Because Hermione, all you'd have to do is ask…and I would have you and love you."

If animals could speak, Harry was sure that his wolf would be screaming the word, '_FINALLY!_'

Hermione was stunned, but not as much as Isabella, who then caught the dagger at Harry's side; moving around to him, she asked, "Harry, where did you get that weapon?"

"While I was in the mountains," Harry explained, "I met this unusual Skinwalker who's become my spirit guide of sorts: he gave it to me."

"What was his name?" asked Isabella; she actually sounded desperate.

"Peregrine," Harry answered, "Fairly tall; tan-skinned; home-fashioned clothing and a headband and necklace with falcon memorabilia inscribed upon them."

"Oh my stars," Isabella gasped, holding her heart while Harry, removing the dagger from its sheath, handed it to his grandmother.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione.

"Peregrine," Isabella explained, "Peregrine, the Skinwalker you met, Harry, was a man I knew, but he died nearly thirty years ago."

"Looks pretty good for it," Harry joked, but he caught his Grams' eyes and, with sincerity in his voice, he asked, "How did you know him?"

"He," Isabella cradled the dagger to her chest before she met the emerald eyes of her grandson as she explained, "He…was…my Father."

Suddenly, Harry had the distinct impression that there would be a more than slight chance he would meet the mysterious man once again:

'That was why he was familiar,' he realised, his steps moving past a stunned Hermione and a speechless Dan and Emma;

'He's…my family.'

**Chapter 4 and we meet the mysterious Peregrine and Harry has learned a little truth about his so-called friend: what was Ron's reason for what he did and will it get him off being punished by the wolf?**

**Also, what was Peregrine's warning talking about when he mentioned the greater evil and a betrayal that has already happened?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: It's back to Hogwarts – yes, I'm skipping the whole reunion scene – and there's dark clouds in Gryffindor as the Golden Trio have words; plus, Harry finds someone in danger of harm and nearly unleashes the wolf to protect them: also, a dark truth about a certain old dog has Harry asking a favour of Isabella and the **_**other wolf**_** is introduced: what will happen when one who can control the change meets one who can't and fears his alter-ego?**

**Please Read and Review…**

**AN: I decided to keep Peregrine in this story as a guide because of how he reminded me of the mystery behind the future our hero has to face;**


	5. Moony and Rakesh

Hungry Like The Wolf: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Plot: **Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you; oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above;

I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

_'That was why he was familiar,' he realised, his steps moving past a stunned Hermione and a speechless Dan and Emma;_

_'He's…my family.'_

Chapter 5: Moony and Rakesh

The end of the summer seemed to drag with the same long-awaited mood that Harry's twenty-four hour countdown had held as things had been revealed and events set in motion that Harry felt would change things for him and his friends at Hogwarts. Learning the truth about Peregrine – that he was Harry's great-grandfather and the fact that he was dead – had left the young wolf asking questions, but he put those aside as he tried not to worry about the man's words. According to Isabella, Peregrine was well-renowned for making predictions and foretellings that usually came true, but Harry didn't need to worry as she knew he'd face each one head-on.

To distract himself from one dilemma, Harry let his mind shift to another: Hermione had been drugged with an obedience potion _and_ learned the truth about his alter-ego: naturally, Harry was curious about whether or not Hermione had said anything, but, when he questioned her about it, she swore a witch's oath on the spot that she had said nothing and never would without his permission: she also apologised for making him upset because of how she now knew he felt about her.

When he explained that his emotions were only one of the things that could induce the transformation, Hermione was worried, but Harry managed to calm her as he explained about how the wolf that he was wouldn't let any harm come to her, be it by magic, physical, fang or claw.

He then proved his control over the wolf by changing willingly in front of Hermione, Dan and Emma, his less feral, black-furred body actually having an effect on Emma and Hermione as they both agreed that, even as a creature of the night, Harry was actually still handsome in appearance. Questioning Isabella about this, Dan had to laugh when he learned that guardians and nobles were almost the same as the vampires of old: they had a rather strong effect on the members of the opposite sex.

When Harry changed back, he'd smiled at Hermione and promised her that he would always see her as an extended member of his pack and that he would do anything he had to in order to protect her.

Though Hermione didn't know it, just before they'd left to return to England, Dan had told Harry that should he ever wish to ask Hermione to be his girl, then Dan would trust Harry to whatever end: with fangs, claws and the heightened senses that came with being a wolf, Harry was almost the perfect boyfriend.

When Harry had asked why Dan said almost perfect, the Granger patriarch had laughed before he explained that Harry's _furry_ side was the only thing different from him and Hermione: if he had those skills as a human and not a wolf, _then_ he would be perfect.

When Hermione returned to England with her parents, Harry sent Dobby to keep watch over the place and the family, though he did tell his friend that if Hermione's mood changed for any reason, Dobby was to warn Harry and he and Isabella would be there in seconds. Now that Hermione was gone, though, Harry felt like a lone wolf once more: he had lost his pack and, though he knew he would see her again at Hogwarts, Harry didn't like that he was so far away from Hermione when she'd been put in danger once before.

Isabella calmed him by revealing the fact that, as Lord Romanov, Harry _was_ now an adult according to French Ministerial Laws, so she had a final surprise for him: she was going to teach him to Apparate and have him registered with _Le Ministère de Versailles_, the French equivalent of the Ministry of Magic.

Now, with the end of the summer approaching, Harry had a few last-minute checks to make: restoring his supplies via the magical settlement of _La Cirque du Mystique_ – the Magical district that he and Hermione had heard about while back at the manor – and, with a quick letter via Dobby to Hermione telling her that he would see her at the station, Harry sat down in the lounge and put a hand to his forehead, a mild headache coming on. To help him, Isabella handed Harry a cup of a familiar-smelling draught: with a smile, Harry downed it and felt the calming effects go to work before, without looking up, he asked, "Great-Grandfather taught you the recipe, didn't he?"

"He did," Isabella explained, "I've had Dobby put a full flask of the draught in your trunk under a stasis and ever-full charm that will help you at Hogwarts should you need it."

"Thanks," Harry sighed, taking a sniff as he added, "What do you think I should do Grams? About Hogwarts and what Peregrine told me about this betrayal that's already happened?"

"You do what we agreed," Isabella told him, now standing behind her grandson; with care and precision, the Enchantress began to massage Harry's temples, the wolf within Harry practically whining in contentment as he listened to her. "You let these trials come to you and, when you meet them, you face them as the leader and the young lord that you are: don't be afraid to use all your instincts and, like my Father told you, don't forget that not every challenge can be solved by sight alone."

"I'll remember," Harry reasoned, looking then to his side where a copy of the _Le Monde Magique_, the French wizarding world's newspaper, held an image on the front page of a wild-haired man, the headline that Harry could read translating into the words: _BREAKOUT AT AZKABAN!_

Reaching for the paper, Harry's eyes narrowed as he whispered, "This man…I…I know him: who is he?"

"Sirius Black," Isabella explained, "Supposedly the man who betrayed your parents to Voldemort, but it's all a lie," she had to say the last part quickly as Harry's throat had let out a deep-toned growl, his skin starting to feel rather hairy. "Sirius would never betray Lily or James: he loved them like they were his brother and sister in all but blood: the real betrayer is Peter Pettigrew."

"I'd ask how you know this," Harry chuckled, "But since I know you have Seer blood, I don't need to: what happened to Pettigrew?"

"He was cornered by Sirius after Lily and James…died," Isabella explained, letting her hands move away from her grandson, "He escaped by transforming into an Animagus form and leaving Sirius to be thrown in Azkaban without so much as a trial: now," she added, kneeling down next to Harry and taking his hand in hers, her eyes noticing her grandson's fingernails already looking like claws as she tried to calm him.

"In case you're doubting that Sirius loved you, then know this: when Lily found out that she was a Huntress and could one day prove to be a threat to her own son, she had Sirius named your godfather and swear a vow that if anything ever happened to them, then Sirius would raise you and treat you as the son he never had. I was there when he swore this vow and I know for a fact that he spoke the truth: the how and why he is in Azkaban in the first place is a mystery, but know this: his escape, so they say, is because he wishes you dead: this…is…not…true. Sirius had escaped to get his revenge on Pettigrew and clear his name: if you find him, Harry, then let me know straight away."

"That's if I don't decide to let my other side _eat_ the murdering traitor for breakfast," Harry growled, Isabella shaking her head as she countered his words.

"If you do that, then Sirius will be condemned to a life on the run," as she said this, a smile crossed Isabella's face as she explained, "Since you're _my_ ward, you're represented and the responsibility of the French Ministry. So, if and when you find either Pettigrew or Black, let me know straight away and, with your permission, little cub, I can use our family's influence in the French Ministry to have Sirius protected and Pettigrew convicted."

"You're my guardian," Harry told her, his voice calm despite the rage that he was feeling inside, "Do whatever it takes: if Sirius is like you say, then I want to meet him and give him the chance to know me…and I mean the real me, but if the British Ministry try to get there first, then I may also need some of that influence myself to get away with dealing with the traitor or protecting my pack. I've seen and heard myself how those witches and wizards treat those who aren't exactly pure of blood or pure of humanity: one of my best friends was expelled from Hogwarts and only saved by the words of the Headmaster. But Grams," here, he looked to her with those sharp, more AK-green than emerald-green eyes before he asked, "Please, promise me that you won't let anyone force me away from this place?"

"I promise," Isabella told him, a smile crossing her face as she added, "Now, to help calm you down, why don't you go and make a final check on your things for school and then you can go hunting or just roam through the mountains, okay?"

"Thanks," Harry laughed, hugging his Grandmother warmly before he rose and, with ease, style and almost precise balance, he managed to leap up and over the banister of the second floor, before he continued up the stairs towards his room, his practice in the art of parkour coming in handy as he reached his room faster than any human could have done.

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

The loud whistle of the Hogwarts Express diverted Harry's attention from a reminisce mode as he concentrated now on boarding the train, while trying his hardest to ignore the headache that had risen from hearing, smelling and sensing so many people and so much power, magic and emotional stress at once.

At his side, her hand on his shoulder as she helped him find a quiet area of the train, Isabella whispered in a hushed voice, "You'll need to adjust to this many people at Hogwarts, but never forget that you've proven you can do it: just think about the control you had in Paris and you'll be fine. Also," she added, clasping his shoulder, "Be very careful around the time of the moon: though you won't be forced into your other form, you will be easier to anger and your instincts will be sharper and more dangerous in the time around the full moon."

"I'll be careful Grams," Harry smiled, stopping now outside an entrance to the train; with his enhanced strength, Harry lifted his trunk and Hedwig's cage with ease – the snowy owl long-since used and adjusted to her now lupine master – before he slid them onto the train and, opening the door in front of him, into the compartment.

However, as soon as he'd opened the door, Harry's senses had suddenly alerted him to a scent. A strong, nature-infused smell hit Harry's nostrils, its scent and presence both very familiar to Harry; peering around, Harry calmed his mind and looked into the compartment, where a man was apparently snoozing under a long cloak, his trunk overhead littered with stamps and signs of travel; at his side was a bottle of Butterbeer and, as Harry looked back to Isabella, he saw her eyes narrow in suspicion.

"You know him?" asked the young wolf, Isabella nodding in response as he asked, "Who is he?"

"Remus Lupin," Isabella explained, "Another old friend of your parents and, no doubt in my mind that he's here as your new Defence Professor, but Harry…"

"It's okay," Harry nodded, "I smelled it as soon as I opened the door," dropping his voice, he pretended to hug Isabella before he asked, "He's a werewolf, isn't he?"

"A wolfan," explained Isabella, "One who can't control either his change or the instincts he feels: nevertheless, you'll be able to trust him because of your status as an Alpha while wolves like Remus are Betas, which make them potential members of your pack. Now," here, she smiled and, pulling away from Harry, ran a soft hand along his cheek, brushing a strand of his black hair aside as she continued, "If you really feel you can trust him, then know this: wolves like you, Harry, have an additional power that you can use to call on me anytime you want. Telepathy: the ability to read, protect, project and speak with your mind: you used it when you infused your soul with that of your other half, but the reason I tell you this is because, when your Grandfather, Nikolai, married me, I gave him the ability to control the change and thus protected you in turn."

"So what?" asked Harry, "You'd give the gift to Remus?"

"Yes," Isabella told him, "But only because he was an innocent soul thrust into this life and cursed by one who was turned rogue in the Lycan Nation: also, he was such a good and loyal friend to Lily and James that I can't do anything otherwise. But, as the Alpha here, I leave the choice to you and, if you want, you can give me that answer at the winter solstice when you leave Hogwarts for Christmas. Oh," she added, smiling warmly, "And feel free to invite your friends for the holidays as well, won't you Harry?"

"Sure," Harry nodded, both of them sharing one last embrace, Isabella giving Harry a motherly kiss on the forehead as he added, "See you then, Grams."

"Take care, _mon petit loup garou_," Isabella smiled, Harry now entering the compartment where the other wolf was still sound asleep; settling into his own seat, Harry now thought on what he'd learned.

Remus Lupin, an old friend of his parents and a Beta to his status as an Alpha, was no doubt the new Defence Professor, but the timing of his being here when Sirius, another good friend of his parents and Harry's godfather, was on the run _and_ the fact that he was a werewolf no doubt having an effect on his time at Hogwarts.

Sitting there, his head resting against the cool glass of the window, watching as the last few stragglers boarded the train, a whistle of warning resounding through the train, its noise as loud as a nuclear explosion to Harry's heightened senses, the young wolf couldn't help but remember what Peregrine had told him.

He would meet another wolf who would help him in his destiny and be another guide on the path set in front of Harry: well, if he was right, then he'd just met the wolf.

Now, all he had to do was introduce himself, better off when the man was awake, to Remus Lupin and see if he was worthy of the gift that could be bestowed by his Grams;

'Only time will tell.'

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Ten minutes into the journey, Harry's rather awkward sense of loneliness with this still-slumbering man in front of him was banished, replaced by a sense of warmth _and_ cold as a familiar scent of mint and parchment reached his nose, its presence only matched by a scent that Harry recognised from that damned shampoo: coconut and dust.

Sure enough, the door to Harry's compartment opened and, without really looking up, Harry commented dryly, "Hi Ron, Hermione: come on in: I've been waiting for you."

"Bloody hell," Ron laughed, Hermione sitting next to the sleeping Remus while Ron decided he was all right slamming into the seat next to Harry, "How did you know it was us?"

"Because Hermione and I agreed we'd meet on the Hogwarts Express," Harry explained, "And only you two would open a compartment without knocking first: oh, and by the way, meet the sleeping Professor Remus Lupin: our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"This is a first," Hermione commented, Harry rising to close the door as he then moved next to Hermione: as he did so, Ron couldn't even try to hide the rage in his eyes and the scent of danger that Harry picked up on…not that the idiot was any threat to someone who could rip out his throat with his teeth…and there was a part of Harry that _wanted_ to do that.

"Sure is," Harry agreed, now looking to Ron as he asked, "So, how about we skip the crap and get down to the real reason you were looking for me, Ronald Weasley?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ron replied, Harry hearing his heart racing like the horses at the Grand National, "All I know is that you haven't kept in touch and neither of you two met me and the family in Diagon Alley like we agreed."

"_We,_" Harry insisted, gesturing to himself and Hermione for emphasis, "Didn't agree on anything and you do know what I'm talking about, Ron: let me help that memory of yours: shampoo for Hermione and deodorant for me?"

"Oh yeah," Ron laughed, "Mum had the idea: did you like it?"

"No," Hermione retorted, "I hate coconut."

"And I despise being compared to the smell of the rainforest," Harry remarked, the rage returning to Ron as he added, "But, imagine my surprise when Hermione and I met up in Paris and my guardian told us that there was more to the shampoo than met the eye."

"Well of course," Ron laughed, "It was meant to help with that rat's nest."

No sooner had he said the word rat than Harry then found his senses being drawn to a rather quivering lump in Ron's pocket: Ron's wasn't the only heart that he could hear racing and, though his normal side would say otherwise, Harry could actually smell _five_ human scents in the compartment.

'I wonder,' Harry thought, his eyes narrowed as he continued his tirade, "It didn't just help with that; it seemed to try and convince Hermione she _loved_ flying and was your girlfriend…and the one time I wore that deodorant, all I felt was the sting of the Basilisk fang against my arm…as if someone was trying to remind me of my near-death experience."

"Well Hermione _is_ my girlfriend," Ron snarled, Harry smirking as he imagined Ron as nothing more than a yapping Jack Russell compared to the big bad Doberman that was sitting next to Hermione Granger. "I asked her out and she said yes."

"I said no," Hermione told him, "And you had the audacity to tell me that no-one else would have me: I don't know what you were thinking in trying to change my mind with shampoo, but get this through your head, Ronald: we're friends and, after your little scam, even _that's_ in debate."

"Besides," Harry added, "Someone else would have Hermione if she asked him: me!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Harry's eyes almost flicker in colour, a hue of gold filling his pupils as if the wolf within him was rising; taking his hand, she added, "Harry, you don't need to get upset on my behalf: I'm pleased that you at least think of my emotions rather than just blundering ahead. As for you," she added, looking to Ron with an air of fury, "I think you should leave, Ronald, and think about what our friendship means to you."

"Oh," added Harry, extending his hand, "But, before you go, would you mind if I had a little look at Scabbers? When I saw your picture in the paper, he didn't look like his normal self."

Sensing an opportunity to get back into Harry's good books, Ron withdrew the rat and, as he handed him to Harry, the red-headed idiot missed the success in Harry's eyes as Scabbers suddenly started thrashing about, squealing madly. Clasping the rat, Ron asked, "Scabbers: what's gotten into you?"

"How strange," Harry agreed, smiling as the close contact with the rat had allowed him to confirm the scent of human coming from the creature, "He's never been like that before; anyway, I believe you were leaving."

"What?" asked Ron, "But Harry, we always ride together and…"

"And I told you once before," Harry reminded him, "Or rather, Hermione told you: you need to leave and think about what our friendship means to you: go on, off you go and take the rat with you."

Even as Harry said the words, the growl in his voice seemed to get the message across more than his words ever could: rising from his seat, Ron left with a huff, but Harry heard him muttering all the way, "Think you're so smug, Potter? Well just wait, because when Black tries to kill you, Hermione will come running to me for help; perhaps I should speak to Ginny about improving the dosage in those potions and…"

With a growl, Harry severed his thoughts from the senses and, looking to Hermione, told her, "Whenever you're offered anything, even food and drink, make sure you check it thoroughly."

"I'm guessing you heard his mutterings," Hermione nodded, shaking her head now as she added, "I'm sorry I stopped you from doing anything, Harry: he spent all day before we found you trying to get me to open up to him."

"Well," Harry reasoned, "I meant what I said, Hermione: all you'd have to do is ask and I would gladly accept you for who and what you are…and, before you argue against it, I think I should tell you that your Father thinks the same way."

"He does?"

Harry nodded and appeared to look thoughtful as he commented dryly, "As he put it: if it wasn't for my _furry_ side being the only thing different from me and you and if I had those skills as a human and not a wolf, _then_ I would be the perfect boyfriend."

"Skills?" asked Hermione, slightly stunned at Harry's confession of something that had been shared between him and her Father.

"Five superhuman senses," Harry explained, "Speed, strength and agility of the world's greatest athletes put together; fangs and claws to protect you from harm _and_, on top of all that, the way that my inner self actually seems willing to be close to you."

"Wow."

Harry just smiled in agreement as he added, "And, before you ask, if it meant protecting your life, I would use every one of those skills _and_ my full transformation to do what was necessary. I care about you, Hermione; in ways that I've never cared for anyone: when you were petrified, it felt like my heart was being torn from inside me and, when you left over the summer, my other self felt…lost, as if I had lost a valued member of my…my…"

"Your?"

"Pack," Harry finished, meeting Hermione's eyes, "Both sides of me care about you, Hermione Granger and I would be a fool to think I didn't deserve you or that no-one else would want you: I guess, in my own Harry Potter way, what I'm trying to say is…"

He didn't get to finish: Hermione, hearing the determination in his voice and the clear-cut permission of her own Father towards Harry, shuffled closer and, taking his hands in hers, she kissed him on the lips, Harry's eyes closing as he felt her scent pass through her lips, her taste as sweet as her scent and her strength only matched by her heartbeat, which was slightly quicker with a sense of trepidation, but, as soon as their lips met, her heart slowed and, instead, Harry felt her embrace him…choosing him as he had said he would choose her.

When the kiss parted, Hermione looked away from Harry, but the Alpha had to ask it, "Why did you do that?"

"Because," Hermione explained, "I…I heard your words and they made me realise…I…I have always…liked you as more than a friend: I…I love you Harry."

"So is that a yes to us choosing one another?" asked the wolf, Hermione laughing as she moved back towards him, her head resting on his chest as he leaned against the wall of their compartment.

"It's a definite yes."

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

It was after lunch, in which Harry and Hermione shared the cost of some in-journey treats, before anything else happened: as they settled back into their seats, Harry's heartbeat echoing in Hermione's ears, her soft breathing making Harry feel remarkably calm, both were suddenly thrown from their seats, Harry's Lycan reflexes being the only thing that saved them from an awkward tumble as the whole train appeared to shudder.

Helping Hermione back into her seat, Harry straightened up and sniffed at the air, the lights in the compartment going out as he whispered, "Something…something's out there."

"What is it?" asked Hermione, looking now to Harry, "What…what do you…sense?"

"I hear…a rattling," Harry explained, his voice filled with dread as he explained, "But the smell: it's like…like the smell of a cemetery in the rain: death and decay and mould all rolled together. There's…there's something else."

"What is it?" asked Hermione, before she gasped as Harry clutched at his ears, his voice crying out in a mix of screams and guttural growls. Before Hermione could move, a flurry of motion brought her back to the compartment: somehow, Professor Lupin had woken and was now kneeling at Harry's side, his hands covering Harry's, which were clawed at the tips. As she listened, Hermione asked, "What…what's happening to him?"

"Dementors," Professor Lupin explained, his eyes on Hermione, "They force a person to relive their worst memories: because of…of his advanced senses, Harry's being affected though they're nowhere near here: they must be hunting."

"You know what he is?" asked Hermione.

"I should," Remus answered, now meeting Hermione's eyes, "I'm one as well, but I'm not like him: I'll explain later, but for now, we have to calm him down again before he changes."

Hermione then remembered when she'd been bragging, though compelled, about how she loved Ron and how Harry had reacted; looking to her best friend, who was now growling threateningly, his skin already showing signs of transformation, claws appearing from under his shoes as they began to vanish under the wolf image, his ears becoming tapered and his eyes showing their golden hue.

Kneeling beside Remus, Hermione whispered, "Harry: pull it in; control your fears or else you'll endanger everyone on the train."

"N-no," Harry rasped, his golden-coloured eyes now holding a look of fear: it wasn't a look that Hermione was used to seeing on Harry's face. "Mum: no, please…don't do it…"

"Oh no," Remus gasped, Hermione then noticing that the man was drawing his wand; rising from where he was kneeling, Remus kept his focus on the door as he explained, "They're making him relive the day they died: Albus…I tried to warn you…you didn't listen."

"Harry," Hermione whispered, Harry now meeting her gaze: his face was somewhat distorted now; his raven-black hair almost covering the area around his eyes, nose and mouth, his teeth now shown in fangs as he looked upon her. "That's it," she smiled, "Don't let this thing inside you win: come back to me…I need you; please, don't leave me."

"T-T-Trunk," Harry rasped, his eyes on said trunk now, "F-F-Flask!"

Moving to Harry's trunk, Hermione opened it and found the flask he was speaking about: it was recognised by the Crest of the Romanov Family; unscrewing the lid, Hermione poured some of the sapphire-coloured liquid into the cup on the lid and handed it to Harry, who, with speed and haste, downed it in one gulp, before handing the cup back to Hermione.

With a cough, he nodded his thanks, before looking to Remus…just as an ice-cold feeling filled the compartment and, through his calmed mood, his fangs, claws and fur becoming flesh, blood and bone once more, he saw them.

They looked like simple hooded figures: Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the flickering lights of the compartment, though even in darkness, it was clear to Harry's wolf vision, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract.

There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, greyish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water. But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak; and then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold swept over them all. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very soul: Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder.

And then, from far away, he heard the screaming again: terrible, terrified, pleading screams that he already knew to be those of his Mother; through the effect of the special draught, Harry felt the wolf wanting out, wanting to tackle this new threat, but, before it got a chance, Harry heard Remus' voice: "None of us are hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks!"

There was a strange flash of white before a loud shriek, like a thousand nails on a thousand chalkboards had echoed through the train and, with a swoop, the figure was gone, leaving Remus to turn and, kneeling back down, he offered his hand to Harry as he asked, "Are you all right, cub?"

"Y-Yes," Harry nodded, though he suspected that Remus knew he was lying: after all, he'd just heard his Mother's screams as she was murdered by Voldemort for the first time. "It's…it's nice to meet you officially, Remus."

"Moony."

Hermione, helping Harry to his feet, asked, "Sorry?"

"Our kind have other names," Remus explained, "When I was a student, James, Sirius and I used them as nicknames, but it's what I call my other half: how about you cub?"

"I don't really have one," Harry explained, Hermione holding him as if she feared his wolf would rise again, "But, as a thanks for helping me, what do you say I let you name me, Remus Lupin?"

"Then I have the perfect name," Remus laughed, "Lord of the Full-Moon Day: in ancient mythology, this name meant that: the name…Rakesh; seems to fit the Silverblood of our Clan, wouldn't you say, my Alpha cub?"

"I would," Harry nodded, "Rakesh: I like it…by the way," here, he met Remus' gaze as he explained, "The Dementors may have been looking for Sirius, but you should know…he didn't betray Mum and Dad."

"Who did?" asked Remus: his wolf side knew that it wasn't in the Alpha's nature to lie; James had very rarely lied to him and Lily had been the same, so he wouldn't expect Harry to lie, especially not about something like this.

"Peter Pettigrew," Harry explained, his sharp senses noticing Remus breaking a large chunk of chocolate into pieces before he handed two to Harry and Hermione, "Thanks: and if I'm right," here, he met Remus' eyes and seemed to pour the spirit of the wolf into him as his eyes took on their golden glow, before he finished his statement:

"I know where to find the murdering little worm!"

**Chapter 5 and Harry has met Remus, experienced the pain and effects of the Dementors and has a theory about his parents' true betrayer, but will his theory be proven or will he be blocked by obstacles?**

**Also, can Harry learn to trust in Remus enough to offer him the gift of controlling his change?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Harry finds someone in danger of harm and nearly unleashes the wolf to protect them: Remus looks into Sirius' incarceration and does a little investigating into Harry's theory; Harry and Hermione make a plan for a rat to meet his end and it's the first CoMC class and Harry's worried about the reaction his animal side will have, but can he survive a day of lessons, plots and plans and betrayals that are clearly in the works?**

**Please Read and Review…**

**AN: I don't know if he'll remember, but it was my friend T4 – T-TrainOrTurkeyT – who originally came up with Harry's wolf name, so thanks for that;**


	6. Night of the Harvest Moon

Hungry Like The Wolf: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Plot: **Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you; oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above;

I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

_"Our kind have other names," Remus explained, "When I was a student, James, Sirius and I used them as nicknames, but it's what I call my other half: how about you cub?"_

_"I don't really have one," Harry explained, Hermione holding him as if she feared his wolf would rise again, "But, as a thanks for helping me, what do you say I let you name me, Remus Lupin?"_

_"Then I have the perfect name," Remus laughed, "Lord of the Full-Moon Day: in ancient mythology, this name meant that: the name…Rakesh…_

Chapter 6: Night of the Harvest Moon

Hogwarts was a cavalcade of chaos and disorder for Harry's highly-tuned senses, his ears ringing with all the noise and his nose tingling with a sense of discomfort that would have let to one hell of a sneezing fit from all the scents he could detect around him. The only thing that seemed to keep both man and beast under control was Hermione's presence: when they'd reached Hogsmeade Station, Harry had come close to being kept in the company of Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, but thankfully, Remus had gotten there first and told the Gryffindor Head that her lion was well enough to attend the feast and the sorting.

After that, Minerva had told Hermione that she wanted a quiet word, but Harry had been determined to be there with her: denying him that right was the hardest thing Hermione had done; however, when she returned to the Great Hall, Harry picked up a scent of magic hanging around her and, as she sat next to him, he caught sight of a chain hanging just under her collar.

Deciding to leave any questions until after the feast, Harry began to pick at his food, a near-silent whisper of a spell taught to him by Isabella taking care of his wolf side's appetite: the spell – named the Rarietta Charm – would give any meat that Harry tasted the scent, essence and taste of raw meat. If Harry drank after eating the meat, he would also experience the bloody taste that came with a raw meaty steak; so, as he enjoyed a very meaty feast – though without the raucous eating habits of the beast: instead he ate like a nobleman: taking his time and even wiping his lips when he was done – he felt at ease that he could make this work.

Afterwards, in which Harry countered the spell so his desserts didn't taste raw and bloody, it was revealed that, aside from Remus being the new Defence Professor, Hagrid had been given the post of Care of Magical Creatures Professor after the former teacher, Professor Kettleburn, had decided to retire.

Finally, Professor Dumbledore gave the students a firm warning about the Dementors and, just from where he was sitting at the Gryffindor Table, Harry could still hear the rattling of the Dementors' breath and smell their eerie, undead-like presence around the school. When the warning was given, Harry also noticed that Professor Dumbledore's voice was edged with an air of fury that was either because of the Ministry's recommendation of the creatures around the school…or because of something that Harry couldn't detect.

When the Headmaster dismissed them, Harry rose with the Gryffindors and, just as he was about to leave the Great Hall, a soft whisper sounded in his ear, "Rakesh, I know you can hear me over them, so listen well: something's not right with the Headmaster and there are members of your House that smell like treachery. Watch your back and don't let them see you change if you feel the need: also, come and see me in three nights' time and I think I can help you tame the other you around the Dementors."

"Yes Moony," Harry whispered, knowing the other wolf would hear his response: the timing was also appropriate as three nights from now would be the time before the new moon, a night where the human could be in full control without worry of the wolf inside reacting to his emotions.

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Throughout the three days before Harry's meeting with Remus, he had to fight very hard to keep the wolf inside him under control: apparently, the Hogwarts infamous rumour mill had struck again and word of his reaction to the Dementors had spread among the student body.

It was bad enough for his own House to learn this, but even they weren't as bad as Malfoy, who seemed to spend every moment of any encounters with Harry impersonating a fainting fit.

Even worse than Malfoy, if that was humanly possible, was Ron Weasley: now that he and Harry had severed ties with one another, Ron was spreading lies about Harry wetting the bed and crying in his sleep, pleading with some unseen force to send the Dementors away like a big baby. These rumours had most of the students laughing, but Harry, who was finding it hard enough not to rip Ron into shreds for his actions over the summer, only _just_ managed to ignore the ass-clown by thinking about the mystery surrounding his occasionally-tasty-looking rat.

If it wasn't for the fact that Harry needed the rat, he would have listened to his instincts and shifted into Rakesh before devouring the creature, but, only by thinking about what he'd learned from Isabella and how his senses had reacted to the rodent, Harry kept those thoughts hidden. In the meantime, Harry had another worry to think about: Hermione: after picking up the scent of magic on her body and noticing the chain under her collar, Harry had kept a close eye on her, but, much to his worry, Hermione was actually getting tired out easily and performing tasks that were taking up too much of her time.

When he wasn't watching over her, while having to ignore the comments about how crazy she was being from the other Gryffindors, Harry was trying to see just how she was attending all her classes, but even his wolf senses and timing couldn't keep up with Hermione. As if that wasn't bad enough, Harry also had to cope with most of his lessons actually proving to be a joke: Divination was taught by an old fraud who seemed to spend her time predicting Harry's death and, when combined with the strong herbal scents in the room, they made Harry feel not only sick, but forced to leave the class and, after speaking with Professor McGonagall, he dropped Divination and was allowed to attend Ancient Runes instead.

Care was worse: though Harry looked forwards to his first lesson with Hagrid, his delight was soured when he found that the Slytherins were there as well and, throughout the lesson, Harry had to try and avoid drawing attention to himself whenever the creature they were working with reacted to his own animal side either in a good or frightened way.

In their first lesson, Hagrid had introduced them to Hippogriffs and, when Harry had been working with his own creature, the Hippogriff had reacted to his predatory side and reared up, slicing his arm open with a deep, gouging wound. If it wasn't for Hermione telling Hagrid that she'd take him to the Hospital Wing, Harry would have been discovered to be something other than human: the cut hadn't hurt, but just the knowledge that he may never again be able to work with such creatures of beauty had harmed Harry.

Explaining this to Hermione, Harry had sworn that he would not let Hagrid down: he wasn't going to leave his first real friend with the mocking jibes of Malfoy and his ilk and, if that meant getting injured – this particular wound having actually healed by the time they'd reached the Hospital Wing – and having to learn to dodge when the creatures reacted to him, then that would be what he did. Hermione, only after scolding him for his idiocy and reckless decision to endanger not only his life, but the lives of other students _and_ Hagrid on top of that with his reaction to animals and their reaction to him, seemed to understand, but she kept a close eye on him in those lessons.

By the time she was done, Harry had stood there all the while and let her rant, before he'd shook his head and, holding her close, told her, "Hermione, you know as well as I do that I would never do anything to endanger anybody: I'm faster, stronger and more able to use my agility than any human in a situation of danger. I don't do this to try and endanger anyone: I do it so that I can prove that I can still be a normal student in lessons while having this other side of me keeping a lid on his instincts."

"I only hope that's all you can do," Hermione explained, "Because I don't think that any of the students know that Professor Lupin is different, so imagine how they'd react to one of their own."

Harry didn't need to imagine: he had nightmares just thinking about it…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

At the end of the third day, just before Harry was to meet with Remus for their discussion and the first session to taming Rakesh's soul around the Dementors, the young wolf said goodnight to Hermione and ascended the stairs to the boys' dormitory: he had waited long enough. Drawing his wand from its sheath, Harry checked the dorm for any other presences aside from that of his prey: picking up the faint traces of his dorm-mates, Harry readied himself for danger, but, as he opened the door, he found the dormitory empty, 'Scabbers' snoozing lightly on Ron's pillow.

"_Petrificus Totalus,_" Harry whispered, the rat giving a single squeak before Harry's spell had it looking like the proverbial statue-like posture that the spell forced the enemy to resemble. Checking around once more, Harry summoned a rope and bound the rat for good measure before he lifted it off Ron's pillow and, without any real effort, sniffed at the essence of the creature.

Now there was no denying it: Scabbers had a real human scent to his rat-like appearance and, just from the scent alone, Harry could pick up cowardice, deception and a strong smell of fear that had Harry's wolf side laughing. Pocketing the rat, Harry sat down on his own bed and, closing his eyes, opened his mind to the wolf's sense of telepathy.

'_Grams…if you can hear me…please respond._'

'_Of course I hear you, little one,_' Isabella's voice was actually very strong: as if she was right beside him. '_I see you've captured the rat with the scent of a man: tell me, what do you want to do with him?_'

'_Speak to the French Ministry,_' Harry explained, '_And do what we agreed: make sure Sirius can find a way to learn about this and then have the Ministry know that this is the will of Lord Romanov._'

'_Would you like a Shadow there?_'

'_What?_'

'_French Aurors,_' explained Isabella, '_Their official titles are the Shadow Corps and they are the best in the country at what they do: with your word, Harry, I can ask that they meet you at Hogwarts and the British Ministry can't challenge them because of the international effect and amnesty held by overseas authorities. For added measure, I can get in touch with Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE and have her know of the arrival._'

'_When…and where?_' asked Harry, wanting the nightmare over so that the truth can be learned.

'_Tomorrow morning,_' Isabella answered and Harry then heard the knowing sense to her comment.

With a chuckle, he asked, '_You've already made the call, haven't you?_'

'_I _am_ a Seer's kin, my little one,_' Isabella replied, '_By breakfast tomorrow, the truth will be known and you will be able to have the peace and satisfaction you so willingly seek. Also, continue to trust in your wolf teacher: I daresay that another like us would be a real asset to your training as the other side of you. Oh, and good luck on the Harvest._'

'_Thanks,_' Harry smiled, '_Got to go now: I have an appointment: talk to you soon._'

'_Love you._'

'_You too._'

Severing the link, Harry made his way down to the Defence Classroom, stopping only once to cast a stronger form of the Petrifying Jinx that he had found in the Romanov Archives.

It was better to be safe than sorry…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Hermione just _knew_ that something was up the next morning when Harry joined her and the other Gryffindors at breakfast, a knowing smile on his face and his emerald eyes actually shining with a sense of hope. Before she could ask what was up with him, Harry greeted her with a warm and passionate kiss to the lips before he whispered, "Trust in me, my lunar princess, and soon all shall be revealed."

As they began to eat breakfast, Harry smirked as his senses heard the footsteps approaching and, seconds later, the doors opened and several men and women in what could be described as streamlined battle robes walked into the Great Hall, their chests bearing a Crest with the French flag overlapped by two wands and enveloped in two angel wings – the sign of the French Ministry – all of them heading for Dumbledore.

With them, Harry noticed almost instantly, was a woman with dark-coloured hair and sharp blue eyes, one of which was concealed by a monocle; she wore flowing Ministry robes with the Crest of the British Ministry and a parchment rolled up in one hand.

"They're Shadows," Neville whispered, Harry nodding to his fellow Gryffindor's exclamation, "French Aurors and the Hit Wizards of the ICW: what are they doing here?"

"Looks official," Katie Bell commented, her own eyes watching the small entourage, most of the students following suit, "Especially if Madam Bones is here: bet Susan's surprised."

'I knew that name sounded familiar,' Harry thought to himself, though his hand was now concealed in his pocket, his eyes narrowed as he could smell the hostility coming from all around them, most notably the pureblood bigots in the room.

"Madam Bones," Professor Dumbledore exclaimed, Harry and Remus both meeting each other's gaze, the older wolf raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Dumbledore continued, "What brings you to my hallowed school halls?"

"International business, Lord Dumbledore," one of the Shadows answered, his voice tinged with the French accent, "At ze request of a nobleman of our country, we 'ave been called to deal wiz some official business regarding confidential information and a possible mistrial from years ago."

"I see," Dumbledore replied, "And, if I may be so bold sir, who is the nobleman in question?"

"Lord Romanov," the man answered, "One of our Minister's most trusted advocates: we 'ave it on good sources zat zis Lord is here at 'Ogwarts."

"Indeed he is, my young sir," Harry replied, rising from his seat and, with ease, he moved down towards the Shadows, "And I must thank you for your perfect timing: Madam Bones, it's an honour to meet you."

"A-And you too Lord Romanov," Amelia exclaimed, her eyes wide, but not more so than Dumbledore, who was looking at Harry with bewilderment. "I understand it that you have crucial evidence that must be regarded by the French Ministry due to your recently-acquired Lordship, is this correct?"

"It is," Harry replied, "And I would appreciate it if the Head of the Shadow Corps attended for the meeting following this evidence as I do not hold any real disdain for the British Ministry, but, as a countryman of France, I feel it would be right to be represented by a legitimate and sincere member of the community."

"Then you are in luck my Lord," the man who had addressed Dumbledore explained to Harry, "Allow me to introduce myself: Lord Claude Francois Delacour, 'Ead of the Shadow Corps of the French Ministry and one zat iz 'onoured to meet you."

"The honour is mine, Lord Delacour," Harry replied, bowing politely to the man as he then explained to Amelia, "With my own Head in attendance, I think I'll just come out and say it: I have discovered evidence that my godfather, Sirius Black, is innocent of the crimes he was committed of twelve years ago."

"Harry?" asked Dumbledore, but Harry didn't listen.

"As a witness to this claim," he explained, "I ask that Professor Remus Lupin escort me to the meeting and that my guardian, Dowager Isabella Romanov, attend as well."

"Agreed," chorused Amelia and Claude, both of them now following Harry out of the Great Hall, Remus then getting the message as he moved to follow.

Needless to say that talk at breakfast that morning was now focused on Harry Potter…but for an entirely different reason…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Presenting the rat to Amelia and Lord Delacour was, quite frankly, the greatest moment of Harry's life: with but one international Floo call, Isabella was at Hogwarts in a flash with a pre-prepared flask of Veritaserum and, as soon as she had appeared, she had her wand on Dumbledore as she explained, "I don't recall the Headmaster being invited, especially since he was an original witness to this testimony twelve years ago."

Dumbledore went from shocked to furious: he had met Isabella before and so he knew who she was: that meant that Harry must have come into his family's legacy and, if that was true, then Remus' protective streak would only increase. When Lily had learned the truth about her family, she had been confused, but Dumbledore had managed to twist the truth and turn her against her own father, killing him in the process, saying it was the only way she'd protect her unborn child.

But now, here was Harry: no doubt an Alpha and already having transformed, gained his Lordship and, from the confidence that was oozing off him, in charge of his own life: that couldn't be allowed to continue.

"Madam Bones," Dumbledore asked, "How can we be sure that what Harry says is the truth? His encounter with the Dementors, whom were searching for the very man that he says he has proof of innocence, may have confused him."

"Oh," Harry laughed, "You'd like that, wouldn't you Dumbledore? For me to be deluded and possibly under the effect of the confundus charm? But you see, I _know_ that my Father, Sirius and the so-called dead man, Peter Pettigrew, were Animagi: they were, in turn, a stag, a dog and a rat and _this rat,_" here, he jabbed the creature with his wand, "Is missing a toe and has lived for over twelve years: curious age for a common garden rat. All they could find of Pettigrew was a finger: now, I'm sure you don't wish to try and waste the time of an overseas Ministry member, so, if you would Madam Bones, the reversal charm."

All Dumbledore's plans went to hell as Pettigrew was indeed revealed, but not before he was stunned by both Harry and Isabella, Remus growling threateningly, but thankfully, he and Harry had talked this over in their meeting and his Alpha had _ordered_ him not to do anything that would threaten Sirius' freedom.

One shot of Veritaserum later, Pettigrew was being led away by the French Aurors and Amelia, turning to Harry, asked, "If you know that Black is your godfather, do you think you can get in touch with him?"

"I can," Isabella explained and, once again, Harry had the feeling that his Grams was keeping certain secrets thanks to her Seer abilities. "And, as guardian of my grandson, Harry Romanov-Potter, I ask that you allow me to house Mr Black in my home until the right time."

"Granted," Amelia explained, slightly stunned that Harry actually had any family, "And thank you again, Dowager Romanov, for not only contacting me for the proper permissions, but clearly looking after young Lord Romanov: Mr Potter, I hope we meet again."

"As do I, Madam Bones," Harry agreed, "And please Ma'am, call me Harry: I have not really met your niece, but she is a respected member of my classmates."

Amelia asked the same of Harry, before she dipped her head to Dumbledore and left the office, Harry now turning to Dumbledore as he smiled and asked, "Now then, Headmaster, since you were here, I'll say it: allow me to introduce my Grandmother, my Mother's Mother, Lady Isabella Romanov: Grams, Professor Albus Dumbledore."

"Oh," Isabella remarked, her eyes growing hard and Harry actually picking up the hostility between the two, "Believe me Harry, we've met."

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

"To Sirius!"

Three glasses of Butterbeer clinked as Harry, Hermione and Remus shared a drink to celebrate the vindication of Harry's godfather, Remus shaking his head in disbelief while Harry and Hermione shared a seat, the female Gryffindor with one free arm around her boyfriend's shoulders as she saw how calm he was.

"I still can't believe it," Remus explained, "All these years: Sirius is going to have a field day when we see him."

"Grams says we can see him at Christmas," Harry explained, though his voice grew softer as he added, "But I asked her if you, Sirius and I could meet at the Manor on Samhain for a special memorial dinner in honour of my parents: what do you say Moony?"

"Samhain is the night after the full moon," Remus explained, "The third night when the wolf wishes to be at peace: are you sure about that cub?"

"I am," Harry answered, "I just…I just want my family, my pack, together for this time of honour."

"Then Moony will be there," Remus told him, "You've grown so much in so little time, Harry: I don't need to give you any real man-to-man advice as you are every inch a Lord and a true son of James and Lily. Just promise me that you'll never let this change."

"As long as you promise me something," Harry added, taking a drink while Remus looked confused, "On behalf of the Romanov Family," Harry continued, "And, as the Alpha to your Beta, I wish to offer you a gift for your friendship and continued loyalty to my family's memories."

"What gift?" asked Remus.

Harry, with a rather wolfish smile – no pun intended – answered him with words that would change everything:

"I wish to perform the ritual that will make you a Noble Wolf and, as such, allow you to merge with Moony and control the transformation at will!"

Remus was silent, his eyes wide with shock and his lips trembling with disbelief…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

**1 Week Later…**

Running;

It felt good to run and, though the run was taking him deeper and deeper into the forest, Harry just didn't care about anything or anyone who noticed his sleek black form racing through the trees. Now that his family were back together in the form of his godfather, Sirius as well as his Grandmother, Isabella, both spending time at the Manor, Harry had decided it was time for some fun.

Throughout all this, he didn't let his studies slip because he chose to embrace the side of him that was just a big puppy: by day, he was a studious young wizard who fought with his girlfriend over their marks and who could get the highest grades and then, by night, he disappeared under his Father's cloak, took to the copse near Hagrid's home and, shifting into wolf, he took to the woodlands, the sights, sounds and smells of the forest making Harry feel like he was back at home.

To reduce suspicion, Harry had only run on the odd night throughout the week, though the night he was waiting for was fast approaching and, on the night of the Harvest Moon in the fall of the September month, he would be in the company of another; a wolf who was unlike him, but was also one of his pack. A Beta in the presence of his Alpha and, despite Remus' worries, Harry had assured him that he would let nothing stop the human in the wolf from gaining control over his instincts.

Truth of it all was that, if he was indeed being honest with himself, Harry was looking forwards to letting the spirit of Rakesh take his mind and body into the ether on the night of the moon: with Moony – Remus' wolf spirit – at his side, the puppy-minded Alpha had someone to ensure he didn't do anything he regretted and, though Remus was a Wolfman by creation while Harry was a Noble Guardian, Remus had felt every time that Harry had been close, the spirit of Moony had submitted and bore his throat to the wolf pup he would soon roam through the woodlands alongside.

As the night rolled on, Harry decided that it was high-time for him to return to the school; following his easily-recognised scent back to the spot where he had buried his Father's Cloak, Harry shifted from Rakesh to the human Harry and, with a shudder – as he always felt a buzz whenever changing from human to wolf and back again – he moved out of the forest, slowly slipping his cloak around him, the night and the power of the cloak swallowing him into the darkness.

Wandering past Hagrid's hut, Harry was about to make the familiar trek up to the Stone Circle when a soft and very familiar scent plucked at his wolf's senses; stopping in place, Harry looked around, allowing the wolf's nocturnal senses to perceive the darkness around him.

Following the scent he found, Harry noticed he was moving towards what appeared to be a second copse on the edge of the lake, a familiar low burning light glowing on the lake, though the scent of woodland was more familiar than the light. Removing his cloak, Harry carefully kept himself ready and, turning around one of the larger trees in the copse, he sighed before he commented dryly, "I thought it was you."

"Hello Harry," the familiar wizened face of Peregrine looked up at him, the Skinwalker still dressed in the Native attire, though this time, he was unarmed and preparing what appeared to be a stew of some sort, "I am sorry for the unannounced arrival, but the Great Spirits have told me that it is time we talk some more…before the Harvest Moon."

Setting down his cloak, Harry sat down by the campfire and, meeting the wizened eyes of the man opposite him, he explained, "I know who you are, Peregrine: who you really are…or were: Grams told me; you're the late spirit of my Great-Grandfather."

"Indeed I am, little loup," Peregrine nodded, "And I am glad to see that you are not troubled by this news: it only confirms my words when I told you that I was here to be your spirit guide and watcher ally in the battles and decisions that lie ahead. Here," he offered a bowl of stew to Harry, once again whispering the incantation he had before he'd given Harry his dagger, "Would you like some? It's hare: an acquired taste, but to a natural alpha male of the food chain like you, I doubt there's much difference."

Accepting the bowl, Harry sniffed at the meal and, being as cautious as he could, he scooped up a piece of the meat and tasted it: it was thick, but held an almost sweetened taste to it: more important to Harry's tired and fatigued senses, it was delicious.

"Thank you," Harry nodded, Peregrine offering him a spoon – repeating the incantation – before Harry then asked, "You say that mysterious spell to bring things from the Astral World to the Material World, don't you?"

"I see you've done your homework," Peregrine chuckled, his eyes on Harry fondly as he explained, "And yes: I use it so that I can offer you aides and advice…and dinner," he added with chuckle. "You are growing so fast, little wolf and the time is rapidly approaching where the other clans shall meet you and bare their throats to the Biggest, Baddest Wolf of them all: speaking of wolves, tell me: what is your opinion of the other?"

"You mean Remus?" asked Harry, Peregrine nodding as the wolf answered him, "He's friendly and the wolf inside him submits to me every time we talk and whenever we speak of our plans for full moon meetings. On the night of the Harvest Moon, I plan on meeting the wolf within him and showing him that even I have no fear against others."

"A noble sentiment," Peregrine remarked, his eyes then darkening as he added, "And I see that you also allowed yourself to solve the mystery and deal with the betrayal that had already come: you showed great restraint in not taking his life. The Great Spirits wish me to tell you that your Mother and Father are very proud of what you've accomplished."

With a thankful smile, as he also tried to hold in his tears at hearing such a positive response from the world beyond this one, Harry then asked a question that bothered him, "Peregrine: can you explain one thing about my Mother to me?"

"As long as it does not involve the realm beyond life," Peregrine explained, "I can and will tell you anything you wish to know, my childe."

"When she discovered that she was a Huntress whereas the male sides of our family would be Wolves," Harry explained, his eyes narrowed now as he asked, "Did…did she blame my Grandfather for this curse and did…did she try to…"

"Kill him?" asked Peregrine, nodding solemnly, "Yes little one: your Mother, Lillian Anastasia Romanov, did indeed try and kill her own Father for bringing this curse not only upon the bloodline, but for keeping the secret from her that her son would be one of your kind. I will say this much," he then continued, Harry rather stunned by the information, "That in her anger and protections for the future, Lillian did fail her attempt and fled the family: the next time that my dear Isabella heard from her was the day she died and you were left alone in the world. If you are curious as to what finally claimed the life and soul of Nikolai, then you should ask Isabella: you are her kin and the new Lord of the Family; she will not lie to you." He saw a look of planning in Harry's eyes, implying that was exactly what the young wolf had in mind.

Silence filled the camp for a few minutes, Harry using the time to finish his meal before he asked, "So…why are you here now, Peregrine? Pettigrew's been imprisoned, I've met Moony and Sirius is waiting to meet me again on Samhain: what possible reason would you be here for now?"

"One thing," Peregrine explained, "And that is the Omega to your Alpha: one Hermione Granger."

Harry's eyes turned wolf as he heard Peregrine's almost solemn voice in his explanation of his reason; with a wolfish growl, he asked, "What about her? Is she in danger? How can I protect her?"

"She is in no danger," Peregrine explained, "But the reason that I am here is to tell you that she is also in no way connected to the lies and deceptions that are being put into effect around you; however, in due time, my little one, she will be faced with a terrible decision and, if you are not there to help her through the actions of her decision, she could become something that even your great powers could not compete against."

"And…" asked Harry, his voice still holding a growl as he considered the threat that Peregrine was speaking about, "What does this…threat have to do with Hermione and I?"

"For the moment," Peregrine replied, his wizened eyes holding a twinkle to them that actually reminded Harry of Dumbledore; ignoring the glance for now, Peregrine continued, "Nothing…as there is nothing you _can_ do other than to help her and remain true to your feelings for her. What she will become is something that could become greater than even your powers as a Silverblood could compare to: greater and more terrible than any decision she has made before now."

"How…" Harry began, but he was then hit with another scent; an approaching scent of lemons and sugar; turning his head, Harry sighed before he whispered, "Someone's coming: I've got to…"

He went to add that he was going, but, as he looked back to the spot where Peregrine had been sitting, Harry once more found himself alone in the copse. Shaking his head, a part of him wondering how the wizened old man actually did that, Harry wrapped his cloak around him and, with swiftness and skill, managed to return to the castle, fully aware of the owner of the scent he'd detected passing him and going down to Hagrid's hut.

The one who wanted Harry to be alone…not that he would be alone ever again;

Albus Dumbledore…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Peregrine's warning put Harry on edge in the days running up to the Harvest Moon and, deep within him, as the moon's power began to affect all who roamed and dwelled in the darkness, Harry could sometimes feel a protective urge rise from Rakesh's soul whenever he was near Hermione, but, as best as he could, Harry managed to keep that instinct under control.

After the near miss from his close encounter with Dumbledore, Harry didn't venture out again until the Harvest Moon, though, whenever he found the man watching him from behind his back, Harry could smell an air of threatening presence and a desire to know more that was actually directed at him.

Trying his hardest to ignore the stares and continued rise in instincts that dwelled inside him, Harry allowed himself to be lost to his studies, training and physical activities, most notably his use of the skills of parkour: it was funny to Harry when his fellow students bore witness to feats of incredible agility from the third-year Gryffindor.

When they asked how he'd done that, Harry shrugged and replied, "If a man just stood still all the time, he'd never be able to get anything done."

Finally, through the fire and flames of aggression, studies and personal activities, Harry found the night of the Harvest Moon upon him and, after his last lesson – Potions – the young wolf decided to return to Gryffindor Tower to drop off his things before meeting Remus as pre-arranged in Hogsmeade, particularly within the building known as the Shrieking Shack.

Heaving a sigh, Harry gave a wolfish smile as he began running up the steps, dodging and weaving through the few students that were just standing around and, with incredible agility, he leapt over rails and banisters, his speed and momentum helping him ascend to the top floor of the school with ease.

Just before he reached the top floor, however, Harry stopped dead in his tracks, his ears picking up the soft sounds of sobbing coming from nearby: as much as he wanted to keep going, Harry couldn't ignore the fact that these particular sobs were edged by an emotion and scent of fear and pain. Making his mind up, Harry climbed down from the banister and followed the sound and sobs until he came to a very familiar bathroom, the scents from the Chamber below making his wolf side chuckle: it was hard to believe that he was once intimidated by this place.

Glancing around the bathroom, Harry followed the scent towards the furthest cubicle on the left and, stopping outside the door, he lifted his hand and knocked, an almost musical voice coming from the other side, "Who…who is it?"

"I heard you crying," Harry replied, something in his voice making the owner of the other voice gasp with shock, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the voice replied, "Don't worry about me, Harry Potter."

'So whoever's on the other side of this door,' Harry thought, 'They know who I am.'

Sniffing at the air, Harry picked up a scent of snowdrops and the smell of the morning dew coming from the other side, but, as he sniffed the air, he picked up something else: a strong, pungent smell that the wizard in him recognised as belonging to Dungbombs while that scent was overlapping a familiar coppery smell: blood.

"If it's okay," Harry spoke up, his protective side rearing its head again, "I'm going to open the door now."

"No," the voice, Harry then recognising it as a female voice, "Please: it's okay; you don't need to concern yourself with me, Harry: you should go back to the Tower."

"Not on your life," Harry replied firmly, his eyes turning gold as he heard the fear that he'd smelled, "If I left someone to drown in their sadness, then what sort of friendly person would I be? And believe me, today of all days is a day that I'm not going to ignore the side of me that people call my saving people instincts: so, I'm going to open the door and then I'm going to help you, okay?"

"Oh," the girl on the other side actually seemed stunned by Harry's words; her voice seemed to calm down as she added, "O…Okay: I…thank you, Harry Potter."

Turning the latch, Harry pushed the door to the cubicle open and, as he glanced around, he saw why his senses had reacted so strongly: the girl on the other side was covered in scratch marks that crossed her face, the marks deep and almost gouging, a trickle of blood running down her cheek and down her lip.

The Dungbomb smell that Harry had picked up on was hovering around her robes, which he then noticed to be holding a Ravenclaw badge upon the crest; other than the scratches, the girl had dishevelled white hair and ice-blue eyes that seemed to fill with the blue from her irises. Her feet were blistered with what Harry supposed was a long time walking and, as he looked around, he then noticed that her shoes weren't just missing; they were non-existent.

Pulling in his fury, Harry extended his hand like a gentleman, allowing some of his calming presence to leak out from his own body as he explained, "You clearly know my name, Miss, but I don't know yours."

"I'm Luna," the girl replied, Harry smiling as he inclined his head, Luna taking his offered hand, "Luna Lovegood: please, Harry Potter, don't…don't tell anyone I was crying: it would only make it worse."

"It?" asked Harry, his eyes on Luna: something about her and her apparently innocent persona seemed to damn Harry's sense of awareness at someone seeing the wolf side of him: it was like she was a cub member of his pack and, as such, it was his duty to protect her. "Luna: Miss Lovegood, has this happened before?"

"Y-Yes," Luna replied, "But please, don't let them know I was crying: it's all right; it's all just a game: you don't need to concern yourself with…"

"Too late there," Harry told her, now checking her over for any further injuries, "No-one should be targeted by bullies, especially not someone so young and innocent as you; now, more than the Dungbombs, I'd like to know who tried to claw your face off like that."

"It was my fault," Luna explained, Harry smelling that she was lying: this was a bad day to lie to him, but he wouldn't hurt her…no, he'd save that for her pursuers of punishment and laughter.

"No it wasn't," Harry explained, his voice calm as he held her shoulder gently, "Luna…I know what it's like to be the target of someone who chooses to make your life a misery: trust me when I say that you don't have to pretend with me. If you tell me who did this and for what reason, then I can give you my word that I will not allow them to hurt you again: do…do you have friends that can help you?"

"No," Luna told him, his words, combined with the air of calmness and sincerity that Harry was emitting through his emotional presence, helping her to ease off, "I'm…I'm the loner of Ravenclaw: no-one wants to be friends with Loony Lovegood: they all call it a game and say that I'm not a real witch, just because I'm…I'm…different."

"Different…how?" asked Harry, his eyes on Luna as he also mentally checked the time: he couldn't be late in meeting Remus before moonrise and he was running out of time.

"I…I sometimes see things," Luna explained, "Have this…perception of things beyond what a normal witch or wizard can do: it makes me see…creatures that others don't believe to exist, but I can't help it."

"And they hurt you for that?" asked Harry, his disbelief and rage towards those who treat Luna like this slowly bringing out the wolf: he could feel his teeth shifting in his jaws and, on Luna's shoulder, Harry saw his claws darkening.

He had to reign in Rakesh: now wasn't the time for an instinct-driven transformation, especially not tonight. "Why would they treat you differently just because you have a gift? Luna; that's just stupid: you're no freak and you're not different."

"You're very kind to say that," Luna smiled, looking into Harry's eyes as she added, "And if you're worried about not letting me see you change, it's a bit late for that: your magical essence is layered by the soul of the wolf within you. I can see the power within you, Harry Potter, and it is going to change everything: I promise."

"I appreciate your words, Luna," Harry replied, her soft words and calm presence around the Alpha werewolf that was slowly transforming in front of her helping him to reign in his fire and fury, his claws and teeth becoming human again. "And I'll keep my promise: I can and will help you gain friends and people that want to be around you, but, for now, I want you to know that you have one friend: me."

"Thank you, Harry Potter," Luna remarked, Harry then scooping her up into his arms and, with grace, speed and skill, he managed to help her to the Hospital Wing, though he had to convince Madam Pomfrey not to say anything to Professor McGonagall as he would deal with this personally.

Once the transformation was over, Harry made a vow there and then to come back and help Luna deal with her belief that she had to be alone;

After all, as far as his better half was concerned, a lone wolf wasn't just a sign of weakness within the Alpha of the pack, but it was also a prelude to a dangerous force that, if not tamed, could destroy the life of its vessel forever…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Moving from the Hospital Wing to a secret passageway that Remus had told him about was fairly easy for Harry, mostly because the passage in question was protected by none other than the Whomping Willow. A quick Immobulous spell took care of its flailing limbs and, once he was down in the passageway, Harry reversed the spell and moved through the passageway into the dark, dank and rather nostalgic environment that made up the infamous Shrieking Shack.

From the passage under the Willow, Harry climbed a set of stairs, his sense of smell picking up Remus' woodland scent just ahead of him: before he reached the door, Harry allowed himself to shift into wolf form, the power of Rakesh once more flowing freely throughout Harry's body. Once fully transformed, Harry pushed the door in front of him open, his eyes already seeing Remus beyond the door, his sense of smell picking up the fear of the older wolf; however, as always, though especially now, when the wolf lay eyes on his Alpha and his cub, Harry felt Remus' wolf submit to its true master.

Looking Harry over, Remus gave a smile before he commented in an alert tone, "About time you got here, Rakesh: the moon's not that far off its rising and I had to do everything I could to escape both Dumbledore and Snape from restraining me."

'_Well,_' Harry commented, using the wolf's power of telepathy to speak with the elder, '_Now that I am here, you should get ready to change into Moony: don't worry about me, Remus; I have a feeling that your other half won't come close to harming me._'

"If you're sure about this," Remus sighed, shedding his outer clothes with ease, Harry noticing that the man wore a skin-tight suit of black material, a hint of the woodland scent that Harry had picked up on now being revealed as coming from the wolf. Clearly, because of its tightness, the suit would blend in with the fur of Remus' other half and, when he changed back, he'd still have that same suit covering his body.

Now that he was out of his constrictions, Remus gave Harry another look before he laughed, "Do you know what, pup? Even as this side of you, your Dad would still make a remark about you being Merlin-blessed handsome and, as a wolf myself, I can agree with him. You look so strong, so firm and so battle-ready that I'd be a fool to challenge you for your ranking of Alpha of the Pack."

'_As long as you remember that, Remus,_' Harry laughed, lowering his head at the praise of his looks, '_Then I don't think that we'll have any problems; careful now,_' he added, looking to the window of their room, '_The moon is just rising over the village: see you on the other side._'

With a grunt, Remus seemed to prepare himself, but, unlike his own experience, Harry found his own nerves drawn to distraction and destruction as he bore witness to the transformation of an ordinary lycanthrope. He could see Remus' body shifting uncharacteristically of his own change, the body, flesh, joints and bones all apparently squashing together before being pulled as though by rubber bands into their new positions.

He could hear the gut-wrenching sounds of the elder wolf's skeletal and organ structures being re-arranged and reset by the ferocious power of the moon. He could smell the woodland and a predatory hunger increasing within both him and Remus, but, all through this, the one thing that Harry also smelled was an undying loyalty from the wolf before him.

Finally, when the man could take no more, he let out a grizzly scream that transformed into a long, mournful howl that echoed throughout the room and the entire shack: suddenly, Harry understood why people had once thought it to be haunted. All this time, it was the transformation processes of creatures like him and Remus and, as the howl died away, Harry watched as Remus, now Moony, fell to the floor, his body trembling, his fur, jet-black with the same flecks of grey that Remus had in his human hair, appearing to stand on end.

When he looked to Harry, the younger Alpha saw only the feral yellow colour of the wolf within as well as the fierce claws that could shred through steel and stone as though it was mere paper.

Glancing at Moony's body, a part of him noticing how it seemed somewhat weaker than his own form, Harry opened his thoughts to the wolf before he asked, '_Moony, do you know who I am?_'

'_Y…Y…Yes,_' growled the older wolf: his wolf voice was deeper and held a bass to it that Harry's apparent child voice didn't: it was like listening to gravel being crunched under the weight of an iron hammer. '_You…are the cub…of my human self…and you…are…my…Alpha: you were brave…to say that I would…not hurt you; compared to me, dear Alpha…you are naught, but a child._'

'_Don't challenge me, Moony,_' Harry snarled, his own claws suddenly extending from the tips of his forepaws, his teeth parted in a snarl, '_I am a Noble-blooded wolf and child of the Silverblood Legacy: I have been chosen to lead our kind to their destiny and I answer that destiny with honour and pride. You may be the human that I care for in most parts of the year, but I warn you now; challenge me and you shall meet your end._'

'_Then,_' Moony growled, lifting to his full height: even at full height, Harry noticed that Rakesh seemed to still be a half-head taller than Moony: must be because of his Noble blood, he reasoned. '_I _do_ challenge you: prove to me that you are worthy of my submission: have at thee!_'

The attack came so quickly that Harry barely had time to react to it: thankfully, his training in the art of parkour and his agility saved him from being sliced by Moony's claws. Leaping backwards, Harry brandished his own claws and, redirecting his leap off the wall, he slashed at Moony's face, the older wolf dodging, making Harry slice at his shoulder.

'_Pathetic,_' laughed Moony, '_Perhaps I was wrong to fear you, little cub: come now, show me the ferocity that only an Alpha can use: fight me and dominate my challenge!_'

'_As you wish,_' Harry returned, his eyes now shining like two dark suns in his head as he willed the full power of the wolf into his body, 'Forgive me Remus: he gives me no other choice.'

This time, with his own mind now infused with Rakesh's soul, Harry charged and managed a second hit, this time against Moony's chest, the older wolf appearing to laugh despite the blood that stained Rakesh's claws. Enraged by the mocking laughter, Rakesh charged once more, rolling once as Moony came back at him not with claws, but fangs, his jaws snapping at dead air as Rakesh rolled under him, his claws swiping at the creature's legs, bringing Moony down.

With a yowl of pain, Moony turned and met Rakesh in what could be described as a werewolf's imitation of a wrestling deadlock, their claws held in each other's forepaws, their eyes reflected in the other, both of them snarling their teeth.

Parting from the attack, both Moony and Rakesh charged forwards, this time, they met with a collective growl and yowl as they piled on top of one another, their forms now rolling around the floor while their claws slashed at any piece of flesh they could get their hands on.

'_Good,_' Moony laughed, yowling once as Rakesh threw him with the strength of his rear legs, the older wolf flying through the wall of their room and out into the hallway.

As Rakesh appeared to 'kip-up' and turn to face Moony, ready to go again, the older wolf stepped forwards and, with a leering wolfy grin, he bowed his head and bore his throat to his Alpha. '_A fun session: I can't remember the last time I played the game so well: you _are_ the Chosen One, Silverblood Rakesh: forgive your Beta for his challenge._'

'_Fun and games?_' asked Rakesh incredulously, '_Is that what this was? We could have killed one another!_'

'_Despite my human's best efforts to contain me,_' Moony explained, his voice now holding an edge of wisdom, '_I remain still the animal inside: born to howl, prowl and yowl; born to flay, slay and feed on prey; born, Alpha Silverblood, to be wild: this is the pastime of our kind and it is what will happen should the packs ever gather. I remain in control of myself because you are my Alpha and you decide what we do on this night, the night of the Harvest Moon. Such is the way of the Pack: the Alpha commands and the Betas obey; so, my Alpha, do you desire to sate your predatory appetite with the blood of prey…or…do you desire something else?_'

'_Do you know what?_' asked Rakesh, brandishing his claws again, his own wolfish smile only emphasised by the shine of his golden-bronze eyes, '_Despite what I feel at your revelation, I want…to go another round: so, Beta Moony…ready to play?_'

'_Ding, ding,_' laughed Moony, both wolves meeting in their continued flaying and battling of one another, the Shrieking Shack alive with crashes and howls of victory and celebration as the night of the Harvest Moon wore on.

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

It was late into the morning when Harry, now human once more, opened his eyes, groaning as waves of tremendous fatigue overwhelmed his body and a gnawing hunger rumbled at his insides. Running a hand through his black hair, he asked, "Ugh…Remus?" He had to cough several times as his voice sounded like he'd eaten sandpaper and his throat felt raw with a pain of either screaming too loud or, more likely, spending all night howling.

"Good morning cub," Remus replied, Harry then noticing that the older man was not only dressed and changed, but holding a tray of fresh breakfast meats, "Hungry?"

"Starving!" Harry growled, taking the meat offered to him by his friend and professor; as he ate, he asked, "Did you wake up changed back as well?"

"I did," Remus replied, pulling back the sleeve of his robe to reveal a fresh scar that looked like it could have sliced his arm clean off at the elbow, "And I think Moony now knows what the price is for crossing you, pup: thank you for helping me."

"We'll have to do it again tonight, won't we?" asked Harry, tearing into a rather bloody pile of sausages, the taste of both flesh and blood soothing both his hunger and that of Rakesh.

"Yes," Remus explained, "But tonight won't be as bad: it's the third night of the moon when the power of the night sky is at its weakest in the wolf: more than likely, Moony will want to roam through the Forest like you do and hunt a deer or something: sport, more likely."

"Wait," Harry asked suddenly, "_Third night?_ Then…what did you do on the first night?"

"What I always do," Remus replied, "Took the Wolfsbane Potion and remained locked in my office: I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry."

"Remus!" Harry exclaimed, "I've been looking into that potion: you can't keep the three nights from either of us: Moony or me; now that he's experienced the one, your body won't accept the potion any longer. Don't you know what goes into it?"

"From the name, I'd suggest wolfsbane and aconite," Remus replied, Harry stunned into silence that his friend could be so nonchalant about this.

"Yes," he agreed, "As well as whey extracts and, the one thing that is not deadly to a wolf, but _can _affect us: mistletoe! Remus, now that you've released the wolf, you _cannot_ take the potion any longer: promise me!"

"Harry," Remus sighed, "It's been twenty-odd years since I started taking the potion: I know it contains mistletoe, but you have to remember, cub that I am not like you: I'm not a Noble or a Guardian Wolf: if Moony gets free, he will hunt and he will kill. Believe me when I say that I do _not_ want that on my conscience, especially if the thing I fed upon happened to be, I don't know, a _child!_"

'My god,' Harry thought, 'I never…I never realised what Remus goes through: and here I am making it look so easy.'

"All my life," Remus exclaimed, Harry smelling the rage and almost a sense of betrayal from his mentor, "I have feared Moony because I feared for you, cub: I was always afraid that he'd come after you and, like the monster that sired me, turn you into something more than a Silverblood. I don't know what could happen if Moony bit another wolf, especially a child or, Merlin forbid, my cub and I don't want to know. The Potion was the only thing that stopped him and, last night, when you stood before me in full Lycan form, you were big and beautiful, but Moony doesn't see that: he sees his Alpha and, if you ever saw him in human form, he'd see you as the prison of his Alpha. Harry, I appreciate the offer you've made me, but I don't think I would willingly choose to become one with…with that monster; don't worry cub," he added, seeing Harry open his mouth to argue, "I won't stop you joining me on these full moon nights, but, as for your offer…"

He moved to the door and, as Harry wiped his lips, the plate of meat cleaned of its raw and bloody amounts, Remus finished his sentence;

"I'm afraid my answer…is no; now, get washed in the room next door and come back to the school."

Then he left…and Harry felt like he _and_ Rakesh had just lost a key member of their Pack…

Because of this, Harry didn't notice that, as he was following Remus' wishes, his eyes flashed a feral shade of yellow, the human within now lost to the spirit of the wolf…

'Born to be wild,' he thought, 'Then I shall be what I was born to be.'

**Chapter 6 and…uh oh; it looks like Remus' rejection of his cub's offer and sanctuary and company have forced something to rise from within the Silverblood: what is going to happen now?**

**Also, with a meeting with Sirius on the horizon, how will Harry react to a three-day-weekend memorial with family, friends and a deserter of his pack?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Samhain draws around and Sirius returns, but it seems that there is something different in Harry: he's not his usual happy-go-lucky self; plus, Luna wishes to thank Harry and, in doing so, Harry discovers a shocking surprise from Isabella about his new friend; also, in honour of the lost, Neville has a request of Harry, though the outcome of that request may change everything they ever knew and believed…**

**Please Read and Review…**

**AN: I decided to combine these two chapters together – originally chapters 6 and 7 of the original – so that they set things up nicely enough for the events to come;**

**AN 2: Remus' wolf form – for now – looks the same as he does in the movie while Harry's is the 'Underworld' version I described earlier;**


	7. Bad Moon Rising

Hungry Like The Wolf: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Plot: **Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you; oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above;

I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

_'Born to be wild,' he thought, 'Then I shall be what I was born to be.'_

Chapter 7: Bad Moon Rising

Dark days had come to Hogwarts and, not for the first time, the one that most of the student body found at the centre of it was none other than the so-called Golden Boy of Gryffindor, Harry Potter. Ever since October had come around, the young wolf had become a real rebel against the way that things were meant to be and, other than ensuring his work was at the top of his class, he was usually found wandering and, more often than not, he was alone. Whenever anyone tried to approach him, they were sent fleeing with their tails tucked between their legs, a look of pure, unmatched fear in their eyes while the Boy-Who-Lived appeared to be unfazed.

Rather surprisingly, the only person that could get close to Harry was the mysterious second-year, Luna Lovegood: she didn't bother him with his work or ask him questions about why he was being so isolated to the advances of others. Instead, she gave him company, shared meals with him and, in the evenings, they could both be seen sat out by the Black Lake, their heads reading books in their hands.

Theories and rumours started from this little escapade and, towards the middle of Halloween, one unfortunate member of the Lion's Den made the wrong mistake and decided to speak the wrong choice of words.

"Potter's just becoming a real git because of the time of year," boasted Ron Weasley to anyone who would listen, "He thinks that just because he can't mourn the loss of his parents, the rest of us have to suffer."

A soft gasp was suddenly sent across the Common Room, a couple of the younger years backing away from the red-head…or rather, from what was behind him; however, the idiot and jealous prat that he was, Ron just continued, "Ever since he disbanded from me and the so-called Golden Trio, he's become a real Malfoy of a git: next thing you know, he'll be kissing You-Know-Who's boots and laughing while another helpless child loses their parents. Maybe then he'll see what a fluke his own survival was."

"Oh…really?" asked an icy voice, a low growl now rippling through the room as Ron, pale faced and actually terrified for what he had just said, turned to see a pair of glowing green eyes and a snarl that was almost like fangs on the face of his former best friend.

Harry, clenching his fists to avoid the others noticing his claws poking through the tips of his fingers, just let his voice do the work as he asked, "Tell me Ron: how much do you know about survival? Because you clearly know nothing about it if you choose to grandstand your true feelings like that…ah well," with inhuman speed, Harry lashed out, his claws digging into the soft flesh of Ron's arm before, with a sharp twist, a loud snap was heard and Ron screamed in pain.

Harry had just broken his wrist…and nearly broken his arm in the process thanks to his lycanthrope-level strength that was poking through; lowering his head to the whimpering weasel's ear, Harry snarled, "There are over two hundred bones in a human body: think about insulting and dishonouring my parents' memories again and I'll snap off another ten. For now," he twisted again and Ron cried out as his hand went limp, the bones in his arm now at the fracture level of broken as Harry hissed, "That's one: get this through your head, I don't call you a friend anymore and, if you dare cross me again, you'll find out what a real pissed off Harry Potter looks like…believe me," he dropped his voice so low that only Ron could hear it, his wolf bodily systems distorting his voice as he exclaimed, "_You won't like it._"

Then, releasing the whimpering idiot to his pain and injuries, Harry looked to the crowd of frightened first and second-years, a small part of him noticing now that Perfect Head Boy Percy was watching as were most of the other years…including Hermione. The horror in her eyes was enough for Harry to smirk before he asked, "What? The rest of you want some pain as well?"

"T-T-T-Ten p-p-p-p-p-points from Gryffindor, Potter," Percy stammered, "For harming another s-s-s-s-s-student and causing d-d-d-disruption in the common room: now, g-g-g-g-go to Professor M-M-M-M-McGonagall immediately."

"Bite me, Weasel," Harry snapped, now looking Percy dead in the eyes, his rage only growing thanks to what he had learned from those who he could have called friends, "And get that stick out of your ass: maybe then I'll respect you."

With that, and with another horrified gasp from most of the Gryffindors, Harry spat on Ron's downed body and, turning on his heel, left the Common Room and, with the speed and agility of his better half, he reached the ground floor in seconds.

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Back in the Common Room, Neville saw the horrified look remain on Hermione's face as a couple of other Gryffindors – most notably Fred, George and Ginny – helped Ron out of the room and down to the Hospital Wing. Stepping past the others, Neville cleared his throat before he asked, "Hermione, what's wrong with Harry lately? He's become…well, he's become something that's not only not Harry…but it's not human either."

"Believe me Neville," Hermione retorted, a small part of her wondering if it would be a safe idea to go after her boyfriend in this state, "You'd be safer not knowing: all I can tell you is that we'd be best leaving Harry to calm down until after Halloween Night."

"You think Ron's right?" asked Seamus Finnegan, not meaning to overhear the last words of Hermione's advice, but he shared a dorm with that boy: if there was anything that could be done, then they needed to do it, "Do you think Harry's finally letting go of all that negative emotion from not being able to mourn his parents?"

"If it is the case," Lavender Brown added, looking to Hermione with an air of worry: she'd never seen the third-year bookworm so worried about anyone before, "Then Godric help anyone that crosses him on Halloween day…never mind Halloween night."

"I wouldn't worry about that day," Hermione explained, "Because Harry will not be here: he and Professor Lupin are going to Harry's home and spending the day and night there with family."

"Good," Seamus sighed, "Because he frightens me now: I'd hate to see what he can do if he ended up staying here on Halloween."

'So do I,' thought Hermione, her heart aching with a sense of worry and loss that, for some reason, seemed more tied to Harry the teenager than Harry the wolf.

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

As Halloween drew closer, the beliefs and theories of the Gryffindors were proven true: with each day that passed, Harry appeared to become darker and more rebellious and, at one point, Hermione – and thankfully, only Hermione – noticed a few scars on his shoulder that indicated he'd been out in his other form, his eyes red with sleeplessness. Something was really bothering her boyfriend and, as much as she wanted to do otherwise, Hermione felt that, other than Lady Romanov – 'sorry, Dowager Romanov,' she reminded herself – there was only one person that she could speak to about the new Harry.

So, just days before Halloween, on the eve of the three-day full moon period, Hermione waited behind after Defence and, once she made sure that not even Harry's heightened senses could hear her, she cleared her throat, getting Remus' attention, "Yes Hermione? What is it?"

"Professor," Hermione replied, her eyes filled with worry as she then changed tack, "Sorry…Remus, have you…and by this, I mean the _other_ you, said or done anything bad lately?"

"Not really," Remus answered, his eyes narrowed as he asked, "This is about Harry, isn't it?"

"Yes," Hermione replied, "He's changing, Remus and, more than anything, he's frightening me: harming others, isolating himself; I mean, I can't even remember the last time he kissed me like he still loves me: is…is this normal for…for…"

"Werewolves?" asked Remus, shaking his head slowly as he answered, "No, Hermione: it's not normal, but Harry, I believe, is simply allowing his instincts to mould to his doubts and dark feelings about the upcoming date."

"That's what everyone else is saying," Hermione agreed, now looking at Remus with eyes of rage and almost disbelief, "But I want the truth, Remus: all this happened the day after the last full moon and, since then, Harry's gotten worse and he's also going out at night: who's to say he's not hunting or trying to prove himself? What did you two do on that last moonlit night?"

Remus, packing the last of the third-year material away, heaved a sigh before he answered, "I think that's something that you should talk with Harry about, Hermione: it's not…it's not my place."

"Tell me," Hermione pleaded, "Harry's going home this weekend and I don't want him to do something he'll regret: he's meant to be meeting Sirius as well and I doubt that he'll be pleased to see a disappointed Harry: please, Remus: what happened?"

Remus gave a sigh, his head lowered as he fidgeted uncomfortably and, with a resigned growl to his voice, he answered her, "All right, Hermione: I'll tell you…especially since you and Harry do have this connection. Do you remember when we found out about Harry making the plan to clear Sirius' name?"

"Yes," Hermione replied, leaning casually against the desk as she listened to her friend and teacher.

"You remember that Harry offered me the power to change at will?"

"Yes."

"Well…and you have to understand my reason for this, but…I denied him."

"What?" asked Hermione, her eyes filled with shock as she looked to Remus, "Why would you…"

"Like I told Harry," Remus answered, choosing to quote his exact words to his cub, "It's been twenty-odd years since I started taking the Wolfsbane Potion that keeps my wolf side submissive: I know it contains mistletoe," he added as Hermione seemed to open her mouth to argue, "But you have to remember that I am not like Harry: I'm not a Noble or a Guardian Wolf: if Moony gets free, he will hunt and he will kill. Believe me when I say that I do _not_ want that on my conscience, especially if the thing I fed upon happened to be, I don't know, a _child!_"

Just like Harry's reaction, Hermione was horrified, but she was even more scared of what Harry had felt like in that moment.

"All my life," Remus exclaimed, "I have feared Moony because I feared for wolves like Harry: I was always afraid that he'd come after them and, like the monster that sired me, turn them into something more than a Silverblood. I don't know what could happen if Moony bit another wolf, especially a child or, Merlin forbid, my cub and I don't want to know. The Potion was the only thing that stopped him and when Harry stood before me in full Lycan form, he was big and beautiful, but Moony doesn't see that: he sees his Alpha and, if Harry ever saw him in human form, Moony would see him as the prison of his Alpha. Hermione, you have to understand that I appreciate the offer Harry made me, but I don't think I would willingly choose to become one with…with that monster."

"Not even for Harry?" asked Hermione, her voice wavering with fear, a sense of dread making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, "He's your Alpha Male, Remus: he won't allow one of his pack to desert the others and, given that you're the only wolf he knows, you're his pack…just like me and his Grams."

"I understand that," Remus began, but Hermione cut him off.

"No you don't, Remus," she insisted, now getting close to his face, her eyes looking into his, "Harry has allowed the beast beneath him to become him even in human form and it's because he feels that he must now walk alone. He doesn't talk to me or any of the Gryffindors: the only one who can get close to him is that Ravenclaw girl and, as he proved when Ron chose to insult his parents, he'll do anything to protect the honour and dignity of his pack, even if that means becoming violent. I thought as well that it was just the feelings associated with this month, but Harry's becoming something else: he's becoming the wolf as the man and beast combined and why? Because his pack abandons him and leaves him to wander, to hunt, to play and to kill all by himself."

"But Hermione-"

"No Remus," Hermione remarked, "Other than his Grams, Harry has _never_ had a family that he can just be Harry with: not the Boy-Who-Lived or the Golden Boy: no, just Harry and just Harry also in wolf form had a pack member, had family, with him in Moony. When you deny him that right, you took his family from him and now, in his confused and lost thoughts, he feels alone again and that's hurting everyone else. I _know_ the full moon isn't that far off, but there's nothing that can be done: Harry will be at home in the wilderness, but I fear for anyone, human _or_ wolf that crosses him on those nights. If you want to help him and prove that you are still the one he can rely on, then I think you need to do that which you fear…and become one with the wolf. Only then will our Harry come back to us…and…and…"

"Back to you?" asked Remus, a soft smile on his face: he couldn't remember the last time that someone had given him a real telling off.

"Yes," Hermione exclaimed, "I love him, Remus: man and beast, I love him and I would do anything for him, but I can't love what he's becoming: I want my Harry back and, if I have to, I'll do anything to see him smile again and hold me like he loves me…not like…not like this monster that's wearing his skin."

With that, she turned away from Remus and, reaching the door, she looked over her shoulder with a last parting shot, "If I lose him, Remus, then you won't have to worry about the students finding out your secret…because I'll tell everyone myself…and then I'll tell Sirius that you betrayed Harry and the trust of his parents."

She opened the door…and walked right into a strong and very familiar chest, a low growl rippling above her head; with a horrified gasp, Hermione looked up and saw two feral golden-coloured eyes looking at her, the owner of those eyes asking, "So you want me to love you, Hermione? You think that this new me is a monster, but you're still willing to love me?"

"_Expulso!_"

The jinx came so quickly that Hermione had to duck as Harry was thrown against the wall, Remus' voice calling to her, "Hermione: _run!_"

She didn't need telling twice: whatever had just spoken with Harry's voice…it wasn't Harry…

Moving past the classroom, Hermione made her way to the stairs, a growl of fury over her shoulder; daring to look back, she saw Harry perched on the banister of the stairwell, the wolf leaping with his inhuman agility down to the next level, clearly wanting to cut her off.

As Hermione skidded to a halt, she heard Harry laugh before he told her, "Why do you run from me, Hermione? You want me to love you, then I will: just let me hold you and we can be together forever."

The studious brunette didn't need to guess what Harry meant by that: turning down the second-floor corridor, she ran with the speed and fear of demons fleeing a holy man…except what chased her was anything but holy. Hoping to reach the true soul of her boyfriend, Hermione pleaded, "Harry: please think about this; I know Remus hurt you with his refusal, but you don't…you don't want to do this. Please, just let's sit down: we can talk about this; please."

"Why talk?" asked Harry, Hermione turning into an open door, Harry giving chase; from her spot in what she now recognised as Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Hermione gasped and gulped as she heard the lock close and some very powerful sealing charms being placed around the room: she was alone. "Why talk when I can just give you a little nip and then we can settle our differences like the _monster_ that you think I have become!"

"I…I didn't mean it!" Hermione pleaded, peering out from the cubicle she had taken refuge in: Harry was standing alone at the edge of the stalls, his outline slightly ragged and a few inches taller: he was changing, "Harry: please…think about what you're doing: we're friends…I love you; please, don't do this."

"Why ever not?" rasped Harry, approaching Hermione with the confidence of the proverbial Apex Predator stalking its prey, "You think me a monster and can't stand me: so, as one like me, you'll learn to like the feeling of power that you have over the walking meat sacks. It only hurts for a moment, Hermione: come on, let me hold my girl…my Omega."

'Omega?' Hermione wondered, 'The mate to the Alpha: oh Merlin; he's serious about this."

A loud bang cut off her thoughts as Harry appeared in the entrance to her cubicle, his eyes now fully wolf and his teeth and nails replaced by the fangs and claws of the wolf; before Hermione could scream, Harry slashed at her top, revealing bare skin and her white bra, an almost lusting look appearing in the eyes of the wolf as he laughed, "I'm the last person you want to play hide and seek with, Hermione: come on, Kitten…it's just a small nip."

His strong arms grabbed her shoulders, his face changing into something that resembled the wolf while his fangs shone in the light of the bathroom: with a last gasp, Hermione moved her leg and caught him in his crotch, the wolf growling, but he didn't let go as Hermione pleaded, "Harry: please, this isn't you: you swore…you said you'd never hurt me…you promised my Father; you promised me. Please, if you do this, then you break that promise: we can sort this out…please don't…"

Her sentence was punctuated by a spurt of blood and a loud, menacing howl that seemed to come from before her; opening her eyes, and half-expecting to see her blood trailing down her boyfriend's muzzle, Hermione was surprised when she instead saw a large figure with black fur and the same feral-coloured eyes now looming over Harry, who was down on the ground with his hand covering a wound on his shoulder.

As Hermione tried to get her head around what was going on here, she heard a voice speak to her in her thoughts, '_Are you all right, Hermione?_'

"P…P…Remus?" she asked, the wolf appearing to nod in response to her query, "How?"

'_I don't know,_' Remus answered, '_All I remember is feeling the need to make it up to my cub, just like you said and I followed his scent here. When I saw what he was going to do, I just…changed: all by myself._'

"How…sweet," Harry growled, a rasping hiss escaping his lips: seconds later, the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets opened and, looking back to Remus, Harry laughed like a broken man, "So Moony finally learns the secret does he? Very well: if I can't have her, then I'll take you…follow me, Little Beta if you dare!"

With that, he leaped down into the Chamber and disappeared from sight, a long echoing howl coming up through the tunnel as Remus then turned and, seeing Hermione, he warned her, '_Stay here: you may not like what you'll see otherwise._'

With that, the wolf leaped down after Harry, leaving Hermione to tremble with fear: glancing at her torn top, the young witch attempted to repair her clothes, but, as she went towards the entrance, something clattered by her foot. Glancing down, Hermione gasped as she saw a dagger that she remembered from the mountain estate where Harry had lived: it belonged to the Skinwalker, Peregrine and, attached to the dagger was a note:

_If you love him truly, you'll know what needs to be done_

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

For the second time in the short space of a month, the large figures of jet-black and raven-black furry wolves fought tooth and nail as they battled down through the Chamber's interior: using the fallen rockslide and snake-head motifs as acrobatic assistances, Moony and Rakesh went head-to-head as their claws and fangs ripped into one another.

'_Rakesh!_' barked Remus, his voice speaking through Harry's thoughts, '_Consider what you're doing: what you've done; I'm sorry I turned you away, but you don't need to lose yourself like this!_'

'_Is that Moony talking?_' taunted Harry, '_Or is it Remus? Because I remember a man telling me he would never consider becoming one with a monster: so what does that make me, Little Beta? A Big Bad Wolf? And does that make you my Red Riding Hood or my Little Pigs?_'

Moony dodged another slash from Rakesh's claws, the elder wolf running into the depths of the Chamber as he tried to avoid his cub: Harry wasn't playing this time: now he saw Remus as a true traitor and, in his predatory mind, traitors earned one fate: death. '_Rakesh…Harry, I'm sorry I turned down your offer, but you see it now: I can control him. I was wrong: this isn't a curse and you _are_ my cub, but you are also my Alpha: we're pack-mates, Harry: please, come back to me. Let me see my cub again._'

'_Too late!_' Harry snarled, leaping with all his claws outstretched, his fangs snarling as he seemed to spin in the air like a furry, feral-edged saw blade, the claws cutting through Remus' upper arms and legs, his chest being covered in fresh scars. As the elder wolf fell down, his head lowered as if trying to submit to Harry, the Alpha laughed, '_You think we're still playing, Moony? I am not going to hold back now: you betrayed me, betrayed the pack and now… what? You thought I was just being alone all those nights? Wrong: I was training and now…I am going to rip you apart!_'

'_That proves it,_' Remus insisted, meeting Harry's clawed assault with his own as he tried to move through the Chamber; now that they were in front of the statue, he could use it to climb up, but Harry's attack on his limbs had taken most of his stamina from him and even his Lycan regenerative powers couldn't do much against Harry's power. '_You've become more than my cub: you're not Harry any more: you ARE a monster; the monster I fear has become the one I would give my life to protect._'

Ascending the statue, Remus leaped off the face and tackled Harry, both wolves now rolling as if locked in a constant struggle, their claws ripping at arms and faces, fresh wolf blood lining the floor before Harry, with even greater strength, threw Remus off him and, rising with another 'kip-up' and a snarl, he turned to face Remus head-on.

'_Impressive,_' he laughed, '_So there's still some strength left…very well: hope you have got everything together; hope you are quite prepared to die…because now, I'm going to…ack!_'

He was suddenly cut off as something pierced him from behind, Remus glancing to where Harry was now on his wolf knees, a blade piercing his back and, on the other end of that blade was…

'_HERMIONE!_'

With tears in her eyes, Hermione kept tight hold of the dagger that she had found, her eyes on the wolf in front of her as she pleaded, "Harry, please come back to me: I don't want to do it, but I will…to set you free. You're not the man I love anymore: please, Harry: please just calm down: Remus can control it now, you've got what you want…please, don't let go of what you are."

That was the moment that Harry's body actually started to contort dangerously and, with a long, echoing howl, the wolf pelt and muscle vanished and, as she watched, Hermione saw the boy she loved returning, but he was still wild-eyed and furiously glaring at her; however, as he glanced at her eyes, something in Harry seemed to come back from the depths and, glancing at Remus, he growled, "You…win."

Then, with Hermione still holding the dagger, Harry fell to the floor, Hermione finding the strength to move around and take his head while, above them, Remus became human and, taking the dagger from his student's hand, he sniffed at the blade.

"Silver," he whispered, "With added Wolfsbane and mistletoe: dangerous to the normal wolf, but I think this one is more than it seems."

"Will…will he be all right?" asked Hermione, holding her boyfriend's head in her lap, "I…I didn't want to, but I couldn't let him kill: not even Harry could do that."

"I'm afraid," Remus sighed, "Whether or not he fights through this…is up to him: Harry has to _want_ to come back for his Silverblood lineage to awaken again, but, if he does, he needs a reason to come back."

"He has one," Hermione whispered, both of them now remaining down in the Chamber while, in her arms, Hermione saw her Harry's face become calm, his eyes closed as if he was merely sleeping, "Me: I love Harry for who he is and not what he is. Please," lowering her head, she brushed her lips against Harry's and, brushing a lock of his hair aside, Hermione kept her gaze on him;

"Please Harry…come back to me…"

**Chapter 7 and it seems that Harry is back to normal, but what must he do to ensure he comes back as the Harry we know and love?**

**Also, just what was it about those in danger that forced Moony to bond with Remus and does Harry's darker nature have anything to do with his lineage as a Silverblood?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Man takes on beast as Harry fights to come back to the ones he loves, but what side of him will come out of this? Also, Samhain draws around and Sirius returns; plus, Luna wishes to thank Harry and, in doing so, Harry discovers a shocking surprise from Isabella about his new friend; also, in honour of the lost, Neville has a request of Harry, though the outcome of that request may change everything they ever knew and believed…**

**Please Read and Review…**

**AN: When Harry's partially-changed like in his hunt for Hermione in this chapter, he looks like the werewolves from the series Teen Wolf; all rights to the original creators;**


	8. Spirit of the Alpha Wolf

Hungry Like The Wolf

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Plot: **Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you; oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above;

I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

_"I'm afraid," Remus sighed, "Whether or not he fights through this…is up to him: Harry has to __want__ to come back for his Silverblood lineage to awaken again, but, if he does, he needs a reason to come back."_

_"He has one," Hermione whispered, both of them now remaining down in the Chamber while, in her arms, Hermione saw her Harry's face become calm, his eyes closed as if he was merely sleeping, "Me: I love Harry for who he is and not what he is. Please," lowering her head, she brushed her lips against Harry's and, brushing a lock of his hair aside, Hermione kept her gaze on him;_

_"Please Harry…come back to me…"_

Chapter 8: Spirit of the Alpha Wolf

'Where…am I?'

Through a haze of mixed emotions and pain that he couldn't quite understand, Harry managed to crack his eyes open, his body laid flat out on a stone floor, the cold touch of the stone against his flesh making Harry wonder if he was still alive or if he was in the realm of the beyond. Lifting his head, though the very act felt like Harry was lifting a ten-tonne truck over his head, the young wolf glanced around, a small part of him noticing that he was no longer lying in the Chamber of Secrets, but, instead, he was in a large, rotund room that held two gates and nothing else.

It felt like a prison, but Harry also managed to notice that, despite the cold floor, he felt an air of comfort from the room; struggling to his feet, Harry called out, "Hello?"

'_Hello little one,_' a familiar wizened voice echoed from all around him: Harry knew that voice; he'd heard it in his visions a long time before: it was the voice of Rakesh, his inner wolf spirit.

"Rakesh?" Harry asked, "Where am I? What is this place?"

'_It is a place where the true test of your power shall come to pass,_' Rakesh explained, Harry looking around for any sign of the wolf spirit or any sort of company other than himself. '_You let yourself be consumed by hatred, little one, and, in doing so, you put the one you love in grave danger. Now, through the power of all Silverbloods that come before you, the Powers have decided that you need to prove yourself worthy to continue with the life you have._'

"The one I love?" asked Harry, his body shuddering as a wave of unknown numbness passed through him, "You mean Hermione? No…I didn't…I never would…"

'_But you did,_' Rakesh explained, Harry then noticing what looked like a television screen rising up in front of him and, as he watched, the signal on the television became crystal clear, showing a memory of what had happened.

_Memory Start_

"If I lose him, Remus, then you won't have to worry about the students finding out your secret…because I'll tell everyone myself…and then I'll tell Sirius that you betrayed Harry and the trust of his parents."

She opened the door…and walked right into a strong and very familiar chest, a low growl rippling above her head; with a horrified gasp, Hermione looked up and saw two feral golden-coloured eyes looking at her, the owner of those eyes asking, "So you want me to love you, Hermione? You think that this new me is a monster, but you're still willing to love me?"

"_Expulso!_"

The jinx came so quickly that Hermione had to duck as Harry was thrown against the wall, Remus' voice calling to her, "Hermione: _run!_"

She didn't need telling twice: whatever had just spoken with Harry's voice…it wasn't Harry…

Moving past the classroom, Hermione made her way to the stairs, a growl of fury over her shoulder; daring to look back, she saw Harry perched on the banister of the stairwell, the wolf leaping with his inhuman agility down to the next level, clearly wanting to cut her off.

As Hermione skidded to a halt, she heard Harry laugh before he told her, "Why do you run from me, Hermione? You want me to love you, then I will: just let me hold you and we can be together forever."

The studious brunette didn't need to guess what Harry meant by that: turning down the second-floor corridor, she ran with the speed and fear of demons fleeing a holy man…except what chased her was anything but holy. Hoping to reach the true soul of her boyfriend, Hermione pleaded, "Harry: please think about this; I know Remus hurt you with his refusal, but you don't…you don't want to do this. Please, just let's sit down: we can talk about this; please."

"Why talk?" asked Harry, Hermione turning into an open door, Harry giving chase; from her spot in what she now recognised as Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Hermione gasped and gulped as she heard the lock close and some very powerful sealing charms being placed around the room: she was alone. "Why talk when I can just give you a little nip and then we can settle our differences like the _monster_ that you think I have become!"

"I…I didn't mean it!" Hermione pleaded, peering out from the cubicle she had taken refuge in: Harry was standing alone at the edge of the stalls, his outline slightly ragged and a few inches taller: he was changing, "Harry: please…think about what you're doing: we're friends…I love you; please, don't do this."

"Why ever not?" rasped Harry, approaching Hermione with the confidence of the proverbial Apex Predator stalking its prey, "You think me a monster and can't stand me: so, as one like me, you'll learn to like the feeling of power that you have over the walking meat sacks. It only hurts for a moment, Hermione: come on, let me hold my girl…my Omega."

'Omega?' Hermione wondered, 'The mate to the Alpha: oh Merlin; he's serious about this."

A loud bang cut off her thoughts as Harry appeared in the entrance to her cubicle, his eyes now fully wolf and his teeth and nails replaced by the fangs and claws of the wolf; before Hermione could scream, Harry slashed at her top, revealing bare skin and her white bra, an almost lusting look appearing in the eyes of the wolf as he laughed, "I'm the last person you want to play hide and seek with, Hermione: come on, Kitten…it's just a small nip."

His strong arms grabbed her shoulders, his face changing into something that resembled the wolf while his fangs shone in the light of the bathroom: with a last gasp, Hermione moved her leg and caught him in his crotch, the wolf growling, but he didn't let go as Hermione pleaded, "Harry: please, this isn't you: you swore…you said you'd never hurt me…you promised my Father; you promised me. Please, if you do this, then you break that promise: we can sort this out…please don't…"

_Flashback End_

The signal became static again as Harry, shaking his head in disbelief, dropped to his knees, the memory of his last moments of consciousness coming back to him like a train had just hit him; he remembered the dagger and how Hermione had told him that he was the one she loved, but she wouldn't, no, she _couldn't_ love a monster.

She had stabbed him, endangering him with an unknown weapon, but she had stabbed him because she loved him and now…now…

"What have I done?" he asked, looking around the makeshift mental prison, "Is…is she hurt? Please tell me that I didn't…"

'_You didn't,_' Rakesh explained, his voice solemn as he addressed his human side, '_Somehow, the will to protect an innocent and stop you from doing something you'd later regret forced the one known as Moony to unlock his Ancient Heritage: he transformed and engaged you in battle. Then, I think you can guess as to what happened next: now, the Powers have brought you here and it is here that you and you alone can decide your fate._'

"How?"

In response to his question, Harry watched as the gate on the far side of this prison opened like a gladiatorial arena, a low growling coming from within: a sense of dread filled the young Silverblood as he then watched with fear and wonder as a large white wolf padded out from within the space beyond the gate.

It was bigger than any wolf that Harry had ever seen: bigger even than him in Rakesh's form; it had leering red eyes that stared at Harry like he would in wolf form stare at a fresh hunt. Its tail was as long as his body and, when it swept its tail through the air, a powerful gust threatened to blow Harry over.

'_This is the spirit of the originator of our kin,_' Rakesh explained, '_She is Lupa, the First Wolf and the one that gave Man the power of the Wolf through her sons, Romulus and Remus: to prove yourself worthy of her gift, you must overcome her power and make it through the gate. Succeed and you shall be restored with the full power and fury of the wolf, but fail…and Lupa will devour your soul._'

Looking once more to the wolf before him, Harry gulped before he asked, "And…how do I overcome her power?"

'_You must allow yourself to let go of the human in you,_' Rakesh explained, '_It is the human sensation of loss and betrayal that forced the demonic nature we are rumoured to possess to rise and control you. You must cleanse your soul of that power and Lupa can and will help you._'

"How?"

'_The same way she gave the gift to her sons,_' Rakesh told him and it was then that, despite her size, Lupa's spiritual form began to lower herself to the ground while, at the same time, Harry gasped as he saw his wolf side start to rear its head as he began to change. His body started to double over and, when he looked, he saw his hands and feet suddenly withdraw into his body, taking the form of four stubby wolf paws that looked no more dangerous than the paws of a playful puppy. His body started to replace human flesh with the sleek black fur of his wolf side, though Harry, seeing through the eyes of his bestial side, then began to feel something…else; something different.

He didn't feel a predatory hunger or a lust for the blood of his prey; no, instead, he felt weak, defenceless, alone and, above all…he felt…hungry: but it was not flesh that he hungered for, but something that only a female could provide.

'You _must_ be joking!'

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Still holding Harry's body in her arms, Hermione helped Remus to climb out of the Chamber and, as the entrance somehow sealed behind them, she asked her professor, "What do we do? I can't help Harry from here: so how do we protect him?"

"We send him home," Remus explained, noticing a look of shock from Hermione as he explained, "Isabella will know how to help her grandson and, at the same time, you can be there to lend him your support through what you feel for him: you _do_ still feel for him, don't you, Hermione?"

"I love the man, Remus," Hermione explained, her voice soft as she looked to Harry, his form – despite his alter-ego – surprisingly light in her arms, "Something happened to the monster back there and now, thanks to me, I may lose Harry because I was afraid of him. Remus," she looked to him as he seemed to concentrate on getting them to his office, "I saw him change before and it didn't scare me, but that was only because he swore he'd never hurt me. But what we saw back there, the thing that wanted to claim me and make me like Harry…it wasn't him; if he comes back, I want to be able to protect him…and I can't do that if…if I…"

"Abandon him?" asked Remus, reaching his office with ease; it was surprising that no-one stopped them, but Remus was more worried about his cub at the moment, "I understand what you mean, Hermione: when…when I changed to protect you both, I finally understood what you meant. I always thought I was a monster while the man was the weak one, but your belief in him and his love for you…it's like I could understand my own alter-ego. For years, I was what wolves like Harry would call a Wolfman, a human cursed by the soul, but, in that battle, in that instance, I think I managed to unlock my true self: the true Lycanthrope inside me."

"And now you can control it?" asked Hermione, setting Harry down on a sofa that Remus conjured for them.

"Thanks to my cub," Remus explained, moving to Hermione's side, "Yes; Harry," here, he lowered his hand and brushed a soft hand through Harry's raven-black hair, "Thank you cub…now please…come back to us."

"I'll stay with him," Hermione told her professor, "You should contact Dowager Romanov."

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

'You have got to be kidding me,' Harry thought, watching as Lupa's large form settled down, revealing her soft underbelly to his weak and hungry puppy form, 'Are you saying I have…I have to do _that_…to her?'

'_You are a pup,_' Rakesh explained, '_To truly cleanse your soul, we have to mature your soul one step at a time and, like all new-borns, there is only one form of sustenance that you can manage: milk from your mother wolf._'

'Rakesh!'

'_There is no other way, little one,_' Rakesh explained, '_To redeem yourself and go back to she who cares for you, your body must be reborn as the Silverblood you are and not the monster you were…now…drink._'

With revulsion running through his mind, Harry weakly moved towards Lupa's body, his puppy form feeling less lithe and agile than the wolf form that he was used to roaming through the woodlands in his true form; settling down next to Lupa, Harry noticed that she wrapped her large tail around him, keeping him from those who would choose to harm him.

He truly _was_ her puppy; her cub and little one and, through this challenge – which he would _seriously_ wash his mouth out later for – he was to grow up once again.

Glancing at Lupa's body, Harry noticed a rather – he was loathed to admit – succulent milky teat in front of his muzzle and, with the human hating it, but the wolf wanting it, he lowered his head and gently began to drink from the wolf that his animal side referred to as Mother. All at once, his mind exploded with light and strength and, the more he drank, the better he began to feel: he couldn't quite explain it, but something pure and magical started to fill his body as he nourished his body on the milk of the wolf in front of him.

When he'd seemingly drunk his fill, Harry lifted his head and actually licked at his small teeth, his wolf eyes noticing an almost proud look on Lupa's face as she bent her head and licked at his forehead, a true mother wolf in the company of her cub.

That was when it happened: Harry couldn't quite explain it, but, as Lupa lifted her head again, Harry gave what could be described as a gasp of awe as magic rushed through his body from both inside his stomach where Lupa's nourishing milk was now settling and from the small patch of fur on his brow where she had licked him. As if sensing this magic, Lupa lifted her tail and allowed Harry to scuttle away, his body swaying uneasily, but his magic feeling stronger than ever and, though he had only ever spent a few nights in true wolf form, Harry felt like he knew what he needed to do.

Lifting his head to the sky above the makeshift arena, Harry opened his jaws and, from somewhere deep inside his body, he let out a strong, powerful and ethereal howl that made the walls of the arena tremble…

However, beyond this mental plane, it was an entirely different story…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

As soon as Isabella heard from Remus that Harry was in trouble, she knew that her darkest fears had come to pass: helping him through the wards of his home and into the room that he slept in, Isabella was about to leave when Hermione – who had accompanied Harry – let out a gasp as Harry opened his eyes, revealing a pair of orbs that weren't his sharp emerald-eyed gaze, but a powerful, ethereal shade of silver…like the colour of mercury.

"Harry?" asked Hermione.

Instead of answering, Harry's mouth opened and Isabella and Hermione gasped as a long, magically-tuned, ghostly howl erupted from inside the apparently-sleeping human; the howl made the hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stand on end and, in front of her, Isabella gave an awed gasp as she recalled the last time she'd heard such a beautiful sound.

It was from her husband and Harry's grandfather, Nikolai Romanov, just before he had undergone a powerful transformation from the cursed man to the glorious, moon-worshipping deity that was a Noble Werewolf.

"What's happening to him, Isabella?" asked Hermione, but, instead of Isabella being the one to answer, it was a familiar wizened voice;

"Harry's true self is awakening…he is becoming the Silverblood."

Turning to the voice, Isabella gasped with shock while Hermione seemed to put two and two together as she saw the apparently home-made and hand-crafted top and trousers, the same headband and hairstyle that Harry had described and, over his back, the newcomer bore a longbow with a quiver of arrows.

"Peregrine?" asked Isabella, the wizened Skinwalker looking to her before he looked to Hermione and, with a sad smile, he shook his head.

"I am sorry for what I had to give to you, Chosen One," he explained, moving over to Hermione before he reached into the pocket of her robe and withdrew the dagger he'd given to Harry. "But the spirits warned me that the Silverblood would face a task like none other: what is happening now, deep inside his soul, is changing him forever."

"What _is _happening, Peregrine?" asked Hermione, looking back to Harry; his eyes and mouth were closed again, but there seemed to be an ever-present echo of the howl that Harry had emitted within the room.

"He is embracing his destiny," Peregrine explained, "And, in due time, Miss Hermione Granger, he will need you to be there for him."

"I will always be there for him," Hermione told the Skinwalker, her hand in Harry's as she urged his recovery on, "What…what does he need from me?"

"Nothing more than what you give him for now," Peregrine explained, "Your heart and your love, but you _are_ the Omega to his Alpha status and, in time, he will need you to embrace his true side so that you may stand at his side."

"You mean…" asked Hermione, shuddering as she remembered the blood-thirsty look in Harry's eyes when he'd called her his Omega, "Become…a werewolf like him?"

"Perhaps," Peregrine mused, "Or perhaps…another sort of Were-creature altogether…"

Hermione went to ask what he meant by that, but when she did, she gasped as she saw that the Skinwalker had, once again, mysteriously vanished without so much as a sound. Glancing instead to Isabella, she asked, "What did he mean by that?"

"Exactly what he said, my dear," Isabella explained, moving to her side before she too put her hand in Harry's, "For there is more to the power of the wolf and indeed the powers of Nature than you would believe…but let's not speak of this now; let's just hope that Harry has the strength to pull through what he must endure."

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

The howl that Harry had let out still seemed to echo around the makeshift arena as the young pup looked to where Lupa was now standing, her form still towering over him, but now, he seemed to be somewhat closer to her. Examining his body, Harry saw that his wolf pup had matured seemingly through that ghostly howl and become a fully-grown male wolf, renewed strength and determination flowing through him as he called out, 'What's next? How did…how did _this_ happen?'

'_You allowed yourself to give in to your instincts,_' Rakesh explained, '_But you also allowed yourself to know when there are those offering you comfort and protection: it is one thing that you had forgotten when you did what you nearly did to Miss Hermione Granger. Now, for the next part of this challenge, you must recognise the difference between pack and prey and, as wolves, there is only one way we do that._'

'How?' asked Harry, looking to where Lupa was still watching him warily; then, as he watched, he gasped as he saw her body become enveloped in a white aura, her giant form shrinking down until she looked like just another female wolf, her form opposite him making the wolf in him sense one instinct: domination.

'No,' he thought, 'Hermione is the only one for me: _that_ is one instinct that I'll never let overpower me.'

As he looked to the female, Harry gave a rough growl in his throat, as if cautioning her to keep her distance, though Lupa, as if this was nothing more than fun, then leaped forwards and nipped at Harry's own long black-furred wolf tail, Harry giving a yowl of surprise before he leaped out of the way.

'What is she doing?' he asked, looking around and wondering just what craziness called this a challenge.

'_She is challenging you,_' Rakesh explained, '_She _wants_ you, Harry: perhaps you should oblige her and let her know she's the boss._'

'Over my dead body,' Harry scowled, moving forwards with the full grace of the wolf, his own jaws nipping at the neckline of Lupa's body; with a seemingly joyful yelp, the female tackled Harry's body to the floor, both of them rolling around and coming at one another with claws and fangs alike.

Yet, throughout all of this, Harry noticed that the so-called attacks made by Lupa weren't dangerous or life-threatening at all: in fact, in pure wolf form rather than werewolf form, he could almost compare these feelings to what he had felt when he'd changed with Moony.

Was Lupa…playing with him?

'All right,' Harry thought, now going to work on his movements, using not only his normal wolf's agility, but using the agility of the true beast inside as he managed to dodge another _attack_ from Lupa, 'I could use some fun too.'

This time, Harry was less aggressive with his choice in attacks, choosing to meet Lupa's paws and jaws in a deadlock as though they were two sword-masters battling in a game of fencing or a training rally. At times, Harry would leap over Lupa's body and try to tackle her from behind, but other times, she would roll and dodge, before coming back to the deadlock that they seemed to enjoy.

Harry would later admit it: being pure wolf – even though he wouldn't put his Lycan form down – was…well, fun!

With one final strike towards Lupa's front paws, Harry leapt back and watched as the female wolf slumped down before rolling onto her back, exposing her belly to him. If he could, Harry would have smiled as he approached her and, pressing his nose against hers, he nipped lightly at her neck, a growl of playful dominance coming from him as he mentally whispered, '_Dead._'

'_And once again,_' Rakesh told him, Harry and Lupa parting while the black wolf prepared himself for whatever was coming next, '_You prove yourself worthy: your sense of playfulness and alpha/omega dominance showed you that this was not threatening. Well done, Harry, you are making progress; now, for the final part of the test, you must do what you seem to fear: you must _become_ the Alpha that you are._'

'I…I'm ready,' Harry thought back, his body once more flowing with magic that resulted in another ethereal howl, Harry actually starting to like the sound of his beast's voice coming from inside him. This time, when the magic faded, Harry found his body back in human form while, across from him, he saw that Lupa had vanished and, in her place was a dark-shrouded figure with leering golden-coloured eyes and a smile that was like a shark smelling blood in the water.

'_If you are not afraid,_' Rakesh told him, '_Then embrace he whom you fear and tame him…tame him as you tamed me and become the Silverblood._'

"And," asked Harry, looking now to the figure opposite him as it began to grow; he recognised the process all too well: the hands became claws, the teeth became fangs and the eyes became blood-red as they became that of the beast. This time, unlike when Harry had become a mix between human and beast with the wolf-like face and muzzle, the beast before him was…different.

Its skin darkened to an almost totally black colour and, along with its blood-red eyes, the creature opposite him had a snarling face that revealed two rows of deadly fangs from behind a pair of fleshy lips. Its claws looked human, but its fingers were longer and more gnarled in appearance, the claws thicker and more profound than what Harry battled Remus and Moony with.

This wolf had fur all over its body except for those bloodthirsty claws and fangs and, as Harry looked on, he actually felt a modicum of fear rise inside his chest as he stared down this beast…this…this…_monster_.

'How the hell am I supposed to do that?' he wondered, finally finishing the question he'd begun to ask before the creature before him had transformed, "I mean, what the holy hell is that thing?"

'_An Alpha,_' explained Rakesh, '_Or at least, what they _used_ to look like: as the Alpha that you could become, you will have all their strengths and none of their weaknesses; the only reason you were weakened by the Skinwalker's dagger is because you chose to be the beast and not the Alpha that you are. Now is your chance to redeem that, Harry and don't forget what will happen if you don't._'

"Do…do I change?" asked Harry nervously, his eyes wide with shock as he hoped and prayed that the answer was yes.

'_No,_' Rakesh told him, '_You must become the Alpha as you are and with the weapons at your disposal: remember, your acceptance must be willing, but you need to tame the soul or else it will devour you whole and leave you as nothing more than an empty shell._'

"Great," Harry sighed, "So don't die and don't get eaten: not very easy challenges."

Looking to the Alpha that loomed over him, Harry didn't like his odds, but he knew why he was doing this:

He was doing it to make sure he opened his eyes and the first words that he would say to his Hermione, the one girl he loved and would_ never_ harm were that he was sorry…

Now all he had to do was let this demon bite him: great (!)

"Well?" he asked, approaching the Alpha, his hand ripping at the clothes he was wearing, sending them to the floor and exposing his pale chest, "If it has to be willing, then bring it on: I won't run; I won't fight; I _may_ scream, but only when it's done. So go ahead…do it…" he spread his arms and closed his eyes, "I'm ready."

The Alpha lunged at him…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

"HARRY!"

Hermione's scream was with good reason as, when Isabella had left, Harry's body had suddenly started convulsing, spurts of blood escaping his lips while, on his left shoulder, parts of his flesh appeared to be ripped from his body, revealing three deep and very bloody gouges that Hermione recognised all too well from the Chamber: slash marks.

Hearing her scream, Isabella and Remus both ran to Harry's room and, when they got there, they found Hermione looking at Harry in horror while she backed towards them, "What…what's happening?"

"The biggest trial of all," Isabella explained, her voice speaking as if it was something from another dimension, "He is fighting the beast inside: whether or not he comes back now…is up to the reason that he must come back."

"Then let's give him one," a new voice interrupted, Hermione now turning to the door and, as she stared, she saw a dark-haired man with a short, rather scraggly-looking beard walk into Harry's room: he had soulful grey eyes and a look that spoke volumes about the respect he held for the boy in the bed.

Dressed in black robes with a mysterious Crest on his lapel – a raven's head over three swords that were held in three hands, a banner underneath holding the words _Toujours Pur_ – Hermione had a distinct impression she'd seen him before. His next words told her who this man was, "I owe my pup too much to lose him to a beast like I almost did my best friend. You: Hermione, was it?"

Hermione nodded.

"Pleasure to meet you," he smiled, "I can see why Harry cares so much about you: Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, pleasure, but now, can you hold his hand for me?"

"What?" asked Hermione, Remus and Isabella both glancing to Sirius, who still smiled as he nodded at her. "Oh…okay…I think…I think I understand."

Moving back to Harry's side, Hermione felt like crying as she saw more scratch marks now covering Harry's shoulders and chest, his eyes wincing in pain; extending her hand, she wrapped her fingers around his and, looking to Sirius, she asked, "Now what?"

"Talk," Sirius explained, "You know the only thing that will bring him back: he's doing this for you, after all. Tell him what you know he wants and needs to hear you say: if you really love him, then…"

"Sirius is right," Remus interrupted, knowing where his former friend and honorary brother was going with this, "You're the only one who can do this."

"All…all right," Hermione sighed, looking to Harry before, keeping tight hold of his hand, she bent her head and whispered in his ear, "Harry: it's me: I don't know if you can hear me, but I want you to know that I'm sorry, I love you and I need you to come back to me. Please, you can fight this: you're strong, Harry: you're so very strong and very brave: and that's what I love you for. Not the wolf, not the lordship, not even because I know you'll protect me with your power, but because I know your heart…and it makes me so happy. Please, Harry: I love you and I forgive you, so don't give up…please…" she dropped her head onto his chest, though her hand never left his, "Please, just come back to me, Harry: I love you so much."

Nearby, Remus whispered to Sirius, "You'd better be right about this."

"You of all people should know how strong I feel for that boy," Sirius told Remus, his eyes on Harry as silence gripped the scene before them, "I owe him for setting me free and I should have been here to help him like I helped you; I know how Hermione feels for him and I see it in him, Remy: he would die before harming a hair on her head."

"Ugh…" a groan came from the bed and, with wide eyes, Hermione opened her eyes again as Harry's voice added, "Sirius…Sirius is right, Hermione; so, if it's okay, can I have my hand back now?"

"H-H-Harry?" asked Hermione, Harry now looking at her with his bright emerald-green eyes, the others noticing that the scars on his body were healing, Remus being the only one who felt an additional urge: his other half felt like he should be kneeling before Harry, his throat exposed in submission.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, his hand still held by Hermione, though his free hand was tracing over her cheek, "I…I lost sight of myself and I nearly lost you. You did what you had to and I don't blame you: I love you, Hermione…thank you for bringing me back."

"Harry?"

Looking past Hermione, who seemed content to wrap her arms around Harry in a warm and almost rib-crushing embrace, Harry smiled as he saw Sirius standing there, Remus still tore between the instincts of his man and beast.

"Hey Sirius," Harry replied, smiling proudly at his godfather, "You're looking better: enjoying the Romanov hospitality?"

"Heh," Sirius laughed, moving to Harry's side and, lifting his hand, he ruffled his pup's black hair fondly, "Thanks to you and the French Ministry, I am, pup: by the way, I think you'd better answer Remus' unspoken question before he collapses."

Harry nodded before he glanced to Remus and, as he did, his eyes changed once more to the golden colour of his wolf side, though Remus could also see a trace of silver passing around the golden centre of Harry's eyes as his cub and wolf leader asked, "Well Moony, shouldn't you bow to your Alpha when you see him?"

"Cub," Remus laughed, before, just for the fun of it, he dropped to one knee and bore his throat, Harry telling him that he could get up before the professor asked, "How…how are you?"

"Back to my old self," Harry replied, his eyes returning to emerald as he looked to the bundle of brown hair that was still wrapped around him, "And so very sorry for what I nearly did to you, my Hermione. I know I can never make up for it, but, if there's anything you want, just say it and I will move heaven and earth to get it for you."

Sirius, ever the joker and the one to get in the last word, laughed as he saw Hermione return Harry's offer with a warm and passionate kiss before he exclaimed;

"Oh yeah: these two definitely belong to one another…Lily and James would be proud of you, pup; I know I am."

Harry's lips were too preoccupied with his girlfriend's kiss to answer Sirius…

**Chapter 8 and Harry's back, Sirius has been met and Hermione knows that Harry is really Harry from his words and heart, but what's next for the now-fully-changed Alpha Prince of Wolves?**

**Also, what did Isabella and Peregrine mean by Hermione needing to change into something **_**other**_** than a Werewolf to be with Harry? Is there some hidden power that she has which can help her boyfriend?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Samhain and Harry, Hermione, Remus, Sirius and Isabella all gather for a special memorial in honour of the lost: also, Hermione sees Harry's new abilities and Harry, Sirius and Remus enjoy a boy's night out on Halloween Night, but why is Harry so uneasy about the French Mountain Range and his hunting grounds?**

**Please Read and Review…**

**AN: The appearance of the Alpha is taken from the TV Series, TEEN WOLF: all copyright goes to the original creators;**

**AN 2: The full wolf ability that Harry used in his vision will only be available to Alphas of the packs and, of course, Harry himself; all others are Lycans.**


	9. Leader of the Pack

Hungry Like The Wolf

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Plot: **Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you; oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above;

I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna – but maybe not seen in-story until the GoF section;

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

_"Oh yeah: these two definitely belong to one another…Lily and James would be proud of you, pup; I know I am."_

_Harry's lips were too preoccupied with his girlfriend's kiss to answer Sirius…_

Chapter 9: Leader of the Pack

When Harry had fully recovered, the other members of his close family left him to get washed and dressed before, fully aware of his recovery, all of them smiled as they heard the familiar sounds of Harry vaulting over the banisters and mounting obstacles to reach the living room of Romanov Manor. Meeting them in the living room, Harry sighed before he asked, "When did everyone get here, exactly?"

"Just after Hermione did what she had to," Remus answered, Harry moving over to his girlfriend and curling up like the puppy he'd felt like in her lap, her hand moving through his hair as if she was stroking him. "Isabella and Sirius both understood that you needed help, but you actually scared us with what you did, cub."

"I'm sorry," Harry replied, before he took Hermione's hand and lightly kissed the back of her hand as he added, "And I meant what I said up there, Hermione: I would never hurt you intentionally, but, when Moony…when he turned down my offer, I felt like…"

"Like you'd lost part of your pack," Remus nodded, remembering Hermione's words as he looked to his cub and his Alpha, "It's all right, Harry: the important thing is that you're now back to normal."

"Or…as normal as my life gets nowadays," Harry laughed, Hermione laughing with him while the adults shared a smile; as he looked over his head at his girl, Harry then added, "Though that life may be incredibly shortened when your Father learns what I nearly did to you."

This brought another laugh from the group as Harry, fidgeting with one of the loose strands on his coat, continued, "But I'm grateful to you all for helping me: when Moony left, I let my anger and doubts overpower me and that allowed the beast inside me to take control: I think," here, he looked to Remus, who looked as sorry as Harry felt.

"I think I finally understand what you go through with Moony's spirit, Remus: which reminds me, Grams," here, he looked to Isabella as he asked, "How _did_ Remus finally gain control enough to take on my wolf form?"

"He embraced his other half," Isabella explained, looking to Remus as she spoke with her mystical tongue, "No doubt when you targeted Harry in an attempt to protect Hermione, you had an epiphany and may have even heard the voice of your inner wolf, am I right?"

"Yes," Remus answered, putting a hand to his heart as he explained, "When I cast the spell to keep Harry away from Hermione, I yelled at her to run and then I heard Moony's voice: he said that I would never be able to protect the innocents with only spells and wit: I needed what he had. Given what Hermione had said to me and what I'd said to Harry, I asked him how he would give me that when all he sought to do was control me and that was when he answered that he didn't. Not since the night that he had played and battled with the Alpha of our pack, the Alpha Prince: the Silverblood."

"On that night," he continued, seeing Harry's eyes widen in shock, "Moony saw the future and knew that there was only the man within the wolf and the beast was lost now that the Alpha was around. He saw Harry as his true superior and, according to him, when you two fought in playful battle, something about your style had Moony receding his predatory instinct to dominate my mind. Instead, he knew that there was a tie between the human side of me and the Alpha that fought like one possessed: Harry, I'm sorry for turning you down and I want you to know that I am honoured and proud to stand at your side as a member of your pack."

Once more, Remus moved to where Harry was lying and, dropping to one knee, he bore his throat to the biggest dog in the room.

"And I appreciate that, Remus," Harry explained, his eyes shimmering with the golden light of the wolf within him, "You are my pack, my kin and my family: just know this," here, he lifted himself from Hermione's lap and, kneeling in front of Hermione, Harry allowed himself to slowly turn into the wolf side of him, his voice distorting as he hissed, "If you ever force me to experience that level of pain and desperation again, I will rip your fur from your body and leave you as an exile of the pack…which also means that you can be hunted. Am I clear, Moony?"

"Yes Rakesh," Remus answered, both Isabella and Sirius amazed at the name of the wolf within their grandson/godson.

"Then get up," Harry told him, his voice human once more as he returned to Hermione, "One law of mine is that my family shall never submit to me: Prince of our kind, I may be, but you are my family and that makes you of Royal, Noble blood."

"And what about those of us who aren't of Lycan blood?" asked Sirius, Harry catching the smirk on his godfather's face as he looked to him, "Where do we stand in your pecking order, your Highness?"

"Well," Harry remarked, flashing Sirius a truly wolfish smile as he explained, "We always need a court jester."

Sirius face-faulted while everyone else laughed at Harry's witty comeback to what had clearly been an interesting question, the Alpha Prince then continuing, "What you have to remember, Sirius is that I'm not just a descendant of the Romanov Werewolf legacy, but I'm also a descendant of Grams' Enchanter legacy, which means that it's my destiny to see both sides united. So, as far as your question goes, if you're my family, then it doesn't matter if you're one of the _loup-garou _or not: you're still family and that means you're to be seen and treated as nobility."

"Harry's right," Isabella agreed, though she glanced once to her grandson as she asked, "When do you think you'll be ready to explore your other heritage then, little one?"

"Give me a year," Harry explained, settling back into Hermione's embrace, her arms now snaked around his neck, "I need time to fully adjust to the power of the Silverblood and learn more about this side of me; so, with Christmas approaching and the times I can use at Hogwarts, I have plenty of time. Once my fourteenth birthday has passed, then I'll start to look into my legacy as an heir of the Enchanters, Grams, I promise."

Isabella just smiled as she felt the strings of fate being pulled in different directions: every day, her Harry was changing his destiny and defying the laws of fate and future, but that was what made him so special.

And, when he did begin to learn about the Craft, he was in for a very special surprise when he would find out the truth about the Enchanters and their modern ties to the lycanthrope nations…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

The first night of the full moon hung high in the sky, its luminous, silvery glow shining down on the areas surrounding Romanov Manor as Harry, with Remus at his side and Sirius on his other side, heaved in a deep breath, his lungs and lupine senses devouring the feeling and presence of the night around them.

Glancing once to his godfather, Harry asked, "So, while Remus and I enjoy our full moon roam through the woods, what will you be doing?"

"I'll be coming with you," Sirius explained, Harry's eyes widening as his godfather proved his point by suddenly transforming, but not into a wolf: his form was smaller than Harry and Remus in Full Wolf form and had shaggy black hair, small, stubby paws that were covered by the fur and eyes that shone like stars in the night sky.

"A dog?" asked Harry, Remus tapping his shoulder once, making Harry turn as he looked to him.

"An Animagus," Remus explained, mentally checking his calendar, "If it wasn't for the gift that your lineage and Alpha dominance gave to me, I'd have asked Severus to cover me and, knowing him, he'd have probably done a lesson on them. Unlike a cursed or Wolfan werewolf," he then continued, smirking slightly at Harry's sense of dread in taking a defence lesson with his most hated mentor, "An Animagus can control their transformations at will and also change whenever they desire: so, in a way, Nobles and Guardians in the wolf world are like Animagi because of how we control our transformations."

"That reminds me," Harry then added, the inner spirit of Rakesh rising within him as the moon continued to shine down on them, "Now that you control the wolf, Remus, what breed would you be classed as?"

"Guardian, I suppose," Remus surmised, "As Nobles, occasionally known as Lycans themselves after the name for Werewolf, are born into the pack while cursed…sorry, _sired_ wolves are only able to become Nobles upon proving themselves to the Alpha."

"But you have proven yourself to me," Harry laughed, Remus shrugging ruefully before he laughed too as his cub added, "Anyway, we can talk more about this in the morning: don't be afraid of it this time, Remus. Just let the wolf within you out: now, come on…I'll race you."

As if hearing the challenge, Sirius took off, his four-legged form normally having an advantage over the two legs of a human: however, this time, those two humans had one advantage over Sirius: they were werewolves.

Taking off at a run, Harry easily scaled and leaped over the wall that surrounded the Manor, his lithe form leaping into the air and out into the mountains beyond, his eyes glowing with the full power of the wolf inside him. Behind him, Remus appeared to follow suit, though he kept pace with his Alpha as a part of him saw this as fun and games rather than a hunt.

Faster and faster the two wolves ran, Harry relishing the feeling of the wolf within him slowly rising to the surface; easily leaping off craggy rocks that stuck out in his path and over fallen logs with an athlete's mastery, Harry and Remus continued to build speed until, with a gasping cry, Harry leaped into the air one last time, the glow of the full moon seemingly surrounding his body.

The glow was a bright shade of silver while Remus, keeping pace with his Alpha's speed, went through a less-painful, but normal Lycan transformation as he too leaped forwards and, when they landed, Harry stood tall and proud, no longer human, but now a larger, majestic, powerful and graceful white-furred Arctic Wolf, though his size could have compared him to the Great or Dire Wolves of old; one of the largest species of wolf in the world.

Next to him, Remus landed in his own Full Wolf form, his fur slightly darker than Harry's, his eyes still holding the same golden appearance that he held as a wolf; Harry also noticed that the werewolf looked as proud, strong and handsome as a normal Lycanthrope was meant to.

Now that Remus had embraced the wolf and proven himself worthy to the Alpha, it made sense he shared in the treasures and rewards of the moon's induced changes.

'_Moony,_' Harry mentally remarked, standing tall, proud and in an almost aggressive stance: his eyes were wide and staring directly at Remus; his lupine fangs were almost bared in a challenging gesture, his fur bristly and his body tall and proud. Though he spoke with his mind, Harry also let out a growl that seemed to try and inform Remus that he was the one leading this game.

'_Rakesh,_' Remus answered, lowering himself down and, with no real hesitation, he rolled onto his back and exposed his belly to Harry, the younger wolf and Alpha Prince acknowledging the submission while Remus waited: Harry was the superior here…that much was obvious.

'_How does it feel?_'

'_Like nothing I've ever felt before,_' Remus admitted, Harry giving him a sign that indicated it was safe for him to get up again, '_Cub, my Alpha, I'm sorry I turned this down…but what about…_'

'_Tomorrow night will be the hardest,_' Harry admitted, '_Even Guardians and Nobles can't ignore the bloodlust and need to hunt that comes on that night: only one night in a month will our wolf sides become the beast you knew and feared: at all other times, it's a choice between the half-human form you've seen me in and this beautiful beast of burden. Now, come, my pack: the night is young…and so are we._'

A sharp bark from ahead had Harry turn his white head, his ears pricked up as he looked out towards the spot where his lupine eyes showed him Sirius' dog form waiting for them; giving a bark in return – as Sirius _couldn't_ communicate mentally – Harry sighed before he added, '_Come on Moony, it seems that Sirius is waiting for us._'

Taking off side by side, the two pack members ran into the mountains, the night swallowing them up as they enjoyed the feelings of freedom…especially after everything that they'd endured leading up to this night.

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

A Grim, a larger-than-average Arctic Wolf and a Lycanthrope;

If anyone had tried to suggest that these three completely different breeds of the canine world could roam, hunt and play together like a pack, they'd have more than likely been committed to an insane asylum…and yet, in the midst of the French Mountains, such a situation was actually happening.

With the Arctic Wolf taking the lead, the trio moved through the mountains, the Alpha of this unusual pack leading his two companions down a route that he recognised by the scents of his past: this was his territory and he owned it.

However, as the Arctic Wolf, known by his moniker of Rakesh to his companions, led the pack deeper into his territory, he stopped suddenly, a scent of fear on the air that he didn't like. Deep within the wolf's mind, the human side of the creature, the boy known as Harry James Potter, suddenly shuddered, the fur on his wolf body suddenly raised as he glanced around.

'_What's wrong?_' asked a voice in Harry's mind, the Alpha acknowledging the Beta that was his friend, mentor and pack-mate, Remus _Moony_ Lupin.

'_I don't know,_' Harry answered, lowering his nose to the ground and nosing the scent he'd picked up: as he did, another shudder passed through his body accompanied by a wave of unexplainable guilt that made his blood run cold. '_But…I feel…I feel like something's happened here…and I don't know what it is._'

'_Should we take a look at it?_' asked Remus, Harry lifting his head as he considered the option: they were out here enjoying the moon and its blessed gifts of strength and energy, and yet, the feeling was one that Harry just couldn't ignore. Something about the scent of fear and the sensation that he knew this place…it was…it was just wrong: there was no other choice.

'_Let's, but be careful,_' Harry warned, turning his head and, with a bark to their canine companion, he indicated that they were moving off the path; unlike before, when Harry, Remus and Sirius – the Animagus wizard that was their canine companion – had ran free, yowling at the moon and just enjoying themselves as a pack and family, this time, their progress was slow.

Harry, keeping his pace with his two elder companions, didn't like the sensations that crept through his body, but, as he slowly stalked the scent at his paws, his eyes fixed ahead, a dark feeling of dread then joined the discomfort and, without turning, he hissed, '_Oh shit…I think I know now why I'm uncomfortable._'

'_Why?_' asked Remus, Harry keeping back as he indicated that his companions should do the same.

'_Wait here,_' Harry explained, '_And no matter what you hear…don't come after me until I say it's safe: understand?_'

'_If you say so, cub,_' Remus answered, Harry moving onwards while Remus and Sirius remained behind: cresting a dune of mountain-top snow, Harry continued following the scent until he found a dip in the rocky surface, the scent now even stronger near here. Taking a leap of faith, Harry lifted his white-furred head and howled to the moon, before he waited; he wasn't kept waiting long as, seconds later, a howl came from just below him, the scent of fear even stronger.

'I feared as much,' he thought, leaping down from the crevice with even greater agility than the average wolf and, turning towards the rocky outcropping, Harry found a cave formed in the side of the crevice and there, standing protectively at the entrance to the cave, was a female wolf, another member of the Grey Wolf lines, but this one, as soon as she saw Harry, seemed to go from curious…to protective.

As Harry had done, her hackles were raised and her eyes were on him, two rows of bloodthirsty fangs showing through her muzzle as she snarled at Harry…and, with that snarl, the Alpha Prince finally put two and two together:

It had been back in the summer holidays and after the time that Hermione had told Harry the apparently bad news: hearing her scream had been enough to convince the werewolf that he needed to leave this place and, when he had, Harry had raced deep into the mountains where, like now, his transformed senses had picked up the scent of a wolf pack nearby.

Thankfully, by the time Harry had followed the scent, he'd been calmer and able to think, but that was the moment when a proud male wolf, the Alpha of his wild pack, had challenged Harry and, no matter which way he turned, the Alpha Prince had been unable to escape.

He'd had no choice than to accept the challenge, but, in his rage, he had taken it too far and then…he'd…he'd killed the Alpha and frightened the remainder of the pack: this female and her cubs.

Now, in Full Wolf form, Harry had picked up the scent of the pack again and he'd also nosed the fear because it was fear that he'd given to them in killing the Alpha: the mate of this female and the father to the cubs that she was clearly trying to protect. Seeing the rage in the female's challenge, Harry knew that he had to make amends: he was Wolf, after all, but he was also a noble spirit and, for that, he needed to do the right thing.

Dropping down onto his belly, Harry lowered all of his appendages and nosed the ground, a submissive whine escaping him as he let his mind wander towards the female, his voice sincere as he told her, '_She-wolf: I remember you and your pups from when last I crossed this territory; I am not here for a kill or for sport: this time, I am here to enjoy Nyx's gifts by the light of the moon. My mind is clearer than when last I crossed your path and I ask that you forgive me for taking your mate from you; I mean you and your cubs no harm…by Nyx's light, I swear it._'

The she-wolf approached Harry's submitted body, her stance still showing aggression as she loomed over him, her eyes looking at his before, lowering her head, she parted her jaws and fixed them around Harry's neck, the Alpha trembling inside, but he did not do anything else.

'_You,_' a soft female voice whispered in his mind, '_You are the killer of my mate and I wish your life for that…but you are also one of Noble blood, a child bore by the gifts of Lupa and, for that, I cannot kill you. So I will spare you, Chosen One, but you must make me a promise._'

'_Of course,_' Harry replied, keeping his body down until he knew it was safe for him to move again, '_What do you ask, She-wolf?_'

'_That you protect my den and my pups with your greatness,_' the she-wolf answered, her voice strong, but still edged by a musical tone that had Harry feeling strangely calmer. '_This territory is now your territory by right of conquest: you are the Alpha of this pack and, as such, it is now your duty to protect your pack. Will you do that, Chosen One?_'

'_I will,_' Harry replied, the she-wolf now removing her fangs from Harry's neck, allowing the Alpha to rise up again and, standing tall and proud, he explained, '_I have a den closer to my own domain where you and your pups will be protected by the gifts I bear: I shall do what I can to protect them and, in return, I shall call them my pack when they are old enough to roam free from the den._'

'_Then go, Chosen One,_' the she-wolf commanded, Harry stepping back easily as he faced her, '_And be ready with your gifts by the time the red moon fills the sky: good hunting._'

'_And you,_' Harry replied, before he lifted his head and howled again to the moon and the night above, the she-wolf's howls echoing through the darkness with him as he turned and, scaling the craggy rocks with ease, returned to Sirius and Remus, '_Shall we get moving?_'

'_What was that about?_' asked Remus, following Harry along a track that he realised led them back towards the Manor.

'_Repaying a favour,_' Harry explained, '_Tomorrow, we can hunt together, Moony, but tonight is over: I need to speak to Grams about something I have promised someone who I wronged._'

Remus wanted to ask more, but Harry had raced on ahead, Sirius looking once to Remus before the Lycan shook his head in confusion.

'_Don't look at me,_' he commented, though it was useless as Sirius couldn't reply to that remark…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

The morning of Halloween brought Harry a renewed strength that he couldn't ever remember feeling; however, as he dressed in his favourite coat and jeans combination, the Alpha Prince also felt a modicum of sadness poking through that strength as the realisations of the day's connections to his life hit him hard.

Standing in front of his bedroom mirror, his emerald-green eyes holding a feral edge as the second night of the full moon was upon them, Harry let out a sigh and, as though the mirror were a gateway to the spirit world, he placed his hand upon the solid glass and whispered, "I miss you both…so much."

"But you'll always have them," a familiar female voice replied, Harry smiling as he realised he should have picked up the scent of his girlfriend walking into his room; standing behind Harry, Hermione put her arms around her boyfriend's waist as she asked, "All set then? Sirius says he has a nice surprise lined up for today."

"Can't wait," Harry replied, his voice as calm as normal as he turned and, looking into Hermione's eyes, he asked, "Are you sure you want to be here, Kitten? After what happened last time…and with tonight pulling at my Lycan side…are you…"

"I won't leave you," Hermione told him, her voice as soft as his as she kissed him lightly on the lips, "Mum and Dad know I'm spending Halloween with you and your family, so they're okay with it."

"Have…" Harry gulped before he asked, "Have you told your Dad about…about what happened?"

"Not yet," Hermione explained, resting her head on Harry's shoulder as he returned his attention to the mirror and his somewhat changed reflection: he had grown a fair few inches in the past few months and, unlike before, he now had more muscle on his legs, arms and around his chest and abdomen. Unlike Remus, who had once been covered in scars from his transformation, Harry's body was clear of such wounds thanks to the werewolf's ability of regeneration.

"I didn't want to spoil today for you," Hermione continued, her eyes looking upon Harry's reflection with an air of calm wonder that had her knowing why she kept her place at his side, "I'll go and see them in the morning before Remus takes us back to Hogwarts and I'll do the best I can to calm Dad down: if I have to, I'll take Remus with me so he can explain things."

"Just be careful," Harry told her, Hermione lifting her head and watching as Harry turned on his heel and left the room, his voice carrying to her from the doorway as he added, "I nearly lost you once before: I won't let that happen again."

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Over dinner, Harry explained his plan to Isabella about the wolves that he had met on his roaming trip the night before: when he talked about the den closer to home, a smile appeared to grace the face of the old Enchantress before she nodded once and told him, "I think it's a good idea, Harry: it shows you can care for those who, while not Lycans like you and Remus, are still members of your pack's circle. In fact, it's not surprising that you find a kinship with the wolves as they, among other creatures, are actually one of the few that are so friendly towards your kind: now, what do you have planned for the rest of today?"

"Apparently," Harry explained, his own face showing a smile that indicated he was happy to have her agreement, "Sirius has some sort of surprise organised and, while I don't know what that is exactly, I know he won't let anything ruin today."

"I see," Isabella replied, closing her eyes for a moment, her lips twitching into a broad smile as she explained, "It's something that you'll like, little one, but I want you to promise me that you'll be careful."

"I promise, Grams," Harry replied, hugging the elderly Romanov with a sense of true sincerity, "I don't want anything to separate me from my family ever again."

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

"Are we there yet?"

"Not yet, Harry," Sirius answered, Harry aware of a snigger coming from his godfather, "Just keep that blindfold on and don't peek: we're nearly there now."

Harry sighed, but acknowledged Sirius' request: at sundown, he, Remus and Sirius had Apparated from the Manor to a country lane that seemed to lead towards a village – if Harry's sense of smell was being true – but, when Harry had asked where they were, Sirius had given him the blindfold and warned him not to remove it.

This, Harry knew, was the surprise that Sirius had planned for them; and so, following the sound of Sirius' footsteps and occasionally asking how far their destination was, Harry waited patiently for the surprise to be revealed: all the while, the influence of the rising moon forced his feral senses into overdrive and, only by concentrating on the blind-man's journey he was being led on was Harry able to keep Rakesh and his instincts under control.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Harry heard Sirius tell him, "All right, pup: now you can take it off."

Lifting his hand, Harry felt a sense of alertness rise within him, the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stand on end as though he was in wolf form and his hackles were raised. Keeping his voice calm, Harry asked, "Sirius, we are alone, aren't we?"

"Just us and Remus," Sirius explained, Harry sniffing at the air to confirm the presence of his mentor:

Remus wasn't there…

"Sirius?"

"Take off the blindfold, Harry."

"Where's Remus?"

"Must have hung back," Sirius reasoned and it was then that Harry heard something: an almost Canadian edge to Sirius' voice that he hadn't noticed before: almost as if Sirius…wasn't Sirius.

"Your voice," Harry muttered, his hand now moving down from the blindfold, his eyes closed still as he asked, "Sirius, why are you sounding so different?"

"Just open your eyes," Sirius' voice insisted: Harry, sniffing once more at the air, then picked up a scent that he _did_ know all too well;

Wolfsbane…

"Where's my godfather?" asked Harry, growling now as he did open his eyes…

And found the barrel of a pistol right in front of his eyes, the shine of the bullet magazine telling him that the weapon was loaded with silver bullets;

"Sirius Black isn't here right now," the man on the other end of the gun told Harry, the Canadian voice that Harry had heard before now bleeding through, "You're all alone…my little werewolf bounty."

'Hunter,' Harry thought, remembering his research into the Lycan community, 'But when did they get me…and where is Sirius?'

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Sirius was, at that moment, cursing his horrible luck for what had happened: it was meant to be a simple surprise gathering for his pup in the village where it had all begun: Godric's Hollow. However, that had been changed and the chance to see Harry so happy had been robbed from Sirius when the dart had struck him in the neck and both he and Remus had been carted away from Harry, the last thing Sirius heard being the sound of his pup's voice asking if they were there yet.

Now, rousing from the unconsciousness that had come with whatever these…Hunters had loaded their darts with, Sirius tried not to show any fear for Harry as he knew his pup would be safe: after all, Harry was the Alpha Prince and this _was_ the night of the full moon, which made it the wrong time to cross a newly-transformed wolf.

Add to that the fact that Harry was clearly still in that same place where Sirius had been leading them to and it made for a big mistake if the leader of this little gathering chose to insult Harry, Sirius, Remus or, Merlin forbid, the memories of Harry's parents. No, Harry wouldn't let anything threaten this day or the memories of his parents and, if the leader of this little hunting group decided to do just that then…no matter what anyone said, he would be very lucky to leave there in one piece.

Though he had been in Padfoot's form, Sirius had heard and sensed the feral instincts rising in Harry's wolf form the night before and, though he couldn't respond to them, he had heard Harry's warning about how the wolf's instincts would be at their hardest for his cub to control and, though Sirius was no wolf, he could tell that sundown was pretty close…from the guttural growling that was behind him.

"Remus?" he whispered, a soft groan answering him: at the same time, Sirius was aware of something thick and sharp wrapped around his wrists. As a former inmate of Azkaban, Sirius knew the feel of anti-apparition cuffs very well and, though these weren't that style of handcuffs, they were still clearly designed to stop something from happening.

'And,' thought Sirius, 'If I know hunters, I can bet that these cuffs are meant to stop a transformation: looks like these guys came prepared…but they have no idea what they've done.'

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Harry knew that he should have been afraid or even intimidated by the presence of the werewolf mortal enemy standing in front of him, but, to his bewilderment, the only thing that he found he could do…was laugh, but thankfully, not out loud.

It had been his own will that had stopped Rakesh's instincts from warning him of any approaching threats and, thanks to Sirius telling him not to remove the blindfold, Harry hadn't actually noticed that they had been taken anywhere specific or their progress interrupted by anything or anyone unusual.

So, yeah, it was weird, but almost amusing as to the reason for his current situation, so, with that in mind, all Harry could do was laugh; in front of him, the hunter that had cornered him still had his make-shift silver-ammo weapon pointed at Harry and, as the Alpha Prince looked around, a note of sadness hit him as he saw a row of tombstones and headstones throughout the scene around them.

He was standing in a graveyard: Sirius had brought him to a graveyard and, even with the rapidly setting sun, he could still see, hear and smell something familiar about the environment that struck his memories: he didn't know how or why, but Harry felt like he _knew_ this place.

In front of him, the hunter gave a seemingly confident grin as he informed Harry, "No point in looking for your companions, my little wolf: my brothers in arms have already taken them from here and, unless you want to join the corpses around here, you'll do as I say."

"What have you done with them?" asked Harry, finding his voice, though he found it hard not to laugh out loud at the look on the hunter's face. From what Harry could see, it was clear to him that he was meant to be afraid and his lack of fear was confusing his supposed captor; well, Harry wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing and, besides, he'd promised he'd be all right.

If he couldn't do that much as the human and wolf infusion that he was, then what kind of Alpha Prince would he be?

"They'll be fine," laughed the hunter, Harry's lack of nerves bringing shock to his voice, "It's you that we wanted, little wolf: grown-up werewolves are riches, but a new blood like you…priceless. Hm," he didn't lower his gun, but he did move around Harry like a hawk circling his prey, "Not much damage to you: that's good, I'll get a better price for a near-perfect specimen like you."

"Price?" laughed Harry, his laugh surprising the hunter, "I may not know much about your kind, hunter, but aren't we nothing more than prey for you and your weapons?"

"Normally, yes," the hunter told him, "But I have a client that has requested a price for younglings like you and, as long as I deliver little cubs like you to him, then I stay out of the way of him and his pack."

'Pack?' thought Harry, watching as the hunter then removed a strange set of serrated silver handcuffs from his pocket and, grabbing Harry's wrists, he forced them around the wolf's hands, a small ripple of magic passing through the cuffs and into Harry's body. 'He's been hired by…by a werewolf? There are traitors to my kind even among my own kind?'

'_Let's worry about that later, little one,_' Rakesh whispered in Harry's ear, his voice laced with a mix of fury and amusement as he explained, '_For now, let's give this hunter something to worry about._'

'_Like what, Rakesh?_' asked Harry, watching as his captor moved back to the spot where he'd been pointing his gun, '_What can we do against him if he has Sirius and Remus…and what was that magic I felt earlier?_'

'_An attempted suppression of my spirit,_' explained Rakesh, his voice laced with even more amusement than before, '_The restraints around your wrists are meant to suppress the transformation in wolves and stop any reactions to capture. However, this one clearly does not know that you are no ordinary werewolf, little Prince._'

'_You say that as if I can avoid the weaknesses of the normal werewolf,_' Harry questioned his other half, '_I know I'm unique as the Silverblood, but…_'

'_You _are_ unique,_' Rakesh argued, his feral instincts rising inside Harry as the young wolf saw his captor grab his body and, seconds later, there was a sharp pull against Harry's navel and, when he could look again, he was thrown to the ground in front of a familiar paired set of prisoners: Sirius and Remus.

'_How?_' asked Harry, a low groan from Remus indicating he had heard Harry's mental voice.

'_The Alpha,_' explained Rakesh, '_Also known as the Silverblood is more than just a name: now that you have learned to accept your bestial side, you have all of our strengths and none of our weaknesses. This is just one of your powers, little Prince and, in due time, others shall reveal themselves to you. What I am saying is that, even now, despite the suppression around your wrists, we can emerge and help free the dog and Moony from their bands: but play this right, little one, or else they may be killed._'

'_I won't let that happen,_' Harry growled, his sharp ears picking up laughter from around them.

"He's just a kid," laughed one voice, Harry's strong sense of smell picking up a greater concentration of wolfsbane and silver around them: no doubt, this was why Remus wasn't trying to fight his own bonds.

"He'll be perfect for the Boss," the hunter that had grabbed Harry explained, "Contact him: I think he'll like the fighting spirit in this one."

Harry, with a mental push from Rakesh, took this as the right time; with a grunt of his own, he struggled to his feet as he remarked, "You boys…clearly don't…don't know what you've got here."

"What are you talking about, kid?" asked the new voice, Harry laughing again inside as he smelled the fear in the air, "And how are you on your feet?"

"Well," Harry replied, his body already working to begin his infamous transformation into his hybrid form as he explained, "There's two things you should know about wolves: the first is that, when they have a pack, there's always one who will do what it takes to protect the others: the Alpha Male."

"Yeah?" asked the hunter, "So what?"

"That brings us to the second," Harry explained, his wrists suddenly feeling thicker as the skeletal and muscular structure of his alternate form started to rise up, "Among the Alpha Males, there's one whose powers are beyond your understanding…perhaps you've heard of him…perhaps not. He's known as the Silverblood, a legend and ruler among the lands of the Lycanthropes."

"Emphasis on legend," the hunter growled, but Harry, now back to full strength, just laughed as he turned to his captor.

"That actually brings me to the third thing," Harry reasoned, drawing on his strength as he explained, "Because you boys have made a pretty big mistake as it is. A big, big mistake, really huge."

"What are you talking about, whelp?" sneered the other hunter, though his voice quivered with fear as he and his ally looked at their prisoner.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you?" asked Harry, his eyes shifting between emerald and gold as he explained, "There's one thing you never put in a trap; if you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow there's one thing you never ever put in a trap."

"And what would that be?" asked the first hunter.

With a wolfish smile, Harry almost growled out his answer;

"Me!"

With his words, Harry pulled his wrists apart, a loud snapping sound cutting through the silver of the cuffs as he bore his hands, the thick black claws of Rakesh's hybrid form already showing as he told them, "Guess the Silverblood's more than a legend: wouldn't you say so?"

"Oh shit," gasped the second hunter, Harry's body now growing, his claws extending, his muscles growing out and his face distorting to the look of the werewolf within: his eyes turned a feral shade of gold, the silver specks among the gold shining brightly as Harry lifted his head and, with a bloodthirsty grin, he turned his head to the other hunter.

"Surprise." A bullet whizzed past Harry's head, but, because of the power of the wolf, the half-transformed werewolf leapt out of the line of fire and, lifting his claws, he slashed at Sirius and Remus' bonds, his voice cutting through the room as he exclaimed, "Wake up, you two: this is your rescue team!"

As soon as Remus was freed, he looked into the feral eyes of his cub and, seeing the wolf within the boy, he asked, "Harry, if I change, how can…"

"Let the moon guide you," Harry explained, moving around to shield his honorary pack members from the dangers that surrounded them as he asked, "Sirius, do you have your wand?"

"Wand?" asked the hunter that had captured Harry, a curse coming from him as he hissed, "Fuck: you mean to tell me that you three are…are…"

"Wizards," Harry finished, leaping forwards and pinning the hunter that had captured him, his eyes filled with a hunger as he added, "And on any other night, that would be all you had to worry about: but you just _had_ to try and capture a Noble and the Silverblood on the night of the full moon, didn't you?"

"WHAT?" Asked the hunter's companion, "Why didn't you warn me? To hell with money: I'm gone…"

"I don't think so," Harry growled, leaping with inhuman agility and pinning the second hunter to the ground, his claws now inches from the man's face as he hissed, "You threatened my pack and you think I'm just going to let you walk away: fat chance."

"Please," gasped the hunter, Harry aware of a light English accent to his voice, "D-D-Don't kill me: please…I didn't want this, but he…he said we'd be…be set for life; my family…please…"

"You did this for money and he," Harry pointed a clawed hand to the other hunter, who was now being cornered by Sirius' wand, "Did this for a wolf that betrays my kind. Well, I think one of you is going to answer my questions and, if I don't like the answer, then you may as well consider yourself new pack members: either that…" he leered at the frightened man under his girth, his fangs dripping drool that splashed onto the man's face as he finished, "Or a Halloween snack!"

"I-I-I-I'll tell you anything that…you w-w-want to know," the hunter gasped, his eyes wide with terror as he saw how serious Harry was about this just by looking at his eyes.

"Good," Harry grinned, his claws now digging into the ground, his hands crushing the man's wrists while his blood seemed to sing with the power of the moon, the full power of Rakesh just _begging_ to be released as he pinned the hunter down completely, "Now, since we're going to be good companions, tell me, what's your name?"

"S-S-S-Stephen," gasped the hunter, "S-S-S-Stephen Danes: I…I only d-d-did this because I w-w-wanted to help m-m-my family."

"Your family?" asked Harry, looking to Mr Danes, "What do they have to do with this?"

"My y-y-youngest," Stephen explained, his eyes still wide, though now it was possibly with pain as he saw Harry's hands crushing his wrists, "H-H-He was b-b-b-bitten by the m-m-monster that hired us: h-he said that he'd tell us the c-c-c-cure if we did what he said."

"What was this monster's name?" asked Remus, Harry then aware of a feeling of hatred from his honorary uncle's voice as he glanced in Harry's direction, his own werewolf form showing his anger in his blazing gold eyes.

"F-F-F-F-Fenrir," gasped Stephen, "Fenrir G-G-Greyback."

A howling roar escaped Remus and, though he'd never met the beast, Harry sensed a connection to the mysterious Greyback that matched the hatred from Remus; glancing over his shoulder, Harry asked, "You know him?"

"I should," Remus answered, his eyes filled with a new bloodlust that Harry had never seen in him before, "He turned me: I swore that when I next saw him, I'd rip him apart."

"And now he's turning children," Harry agreed, his own hatred now making sense as he looked to Mr Danes as he asked, "Your son: what happened to him?"

"I-I-I-I-I isolated him," stammered Danes, Harry looking to the sky, which was clear through a skylight: the full moon had just risen, "P-P-Please: I just wanted to help him."

"And you have," Harry explained, now moving away from Mr Danes, before he turned to Remus and, looking to the hunter past him, he asked, "What's your reason?"

"You and your kind are monsters," hissed the hunter, "And monsters deserve to be put down: I only let myself be commanded by a freak like Greyback because he's going to pay me: that's it!"

"Oh?" asked Harry, his own gaze on Sirius as he added, "That's it, is it? Oh well, in that case: Sirius?"

"Right," Sirius' hand went to his alternate wrist where a wand holster was stored, a powerful-looking curse flying to the hunter while Harry, hearing only his screams, turned to face Mr Danes once again.

"Listen to me," he told the man, "And listen well: your son is going to be all right, but I will tell you now: there is _no_ known cure for a werewolf except the pain of death: for that reason, I give you this promise. If you let me take your son into my pack…as my protégé, you could say, then I give you my word as the Silverblood and Alpha that I am that he will be safe. Also, in return for this favour, you must promise that you will never hunt another wolf and that, should I ever need help, you will be there for me: Stephen Danes, do you swear this?"

"I…I swear," Danes answered, Harry now changing back despite the influence of the moon: once he was human, he shook off his feral side as he heard Danes ask, "But how…how can you help him?"

"Like me," Harry explained, hearing another cry of pain from Danes' companion, "He's only a child and I have someone who knows all too well the pain of transformation as well as someone who knows how to handle new bloods. Tonight, however, he needs his Father at his side, so I want you to go and be there for him: show him that you're not afraid and, when the time is right, I will come for him: now, go!"

Stephen took off like a demon fleeing a holy man, leaving Harry to turn and, approaching a still-transformed Remus, he saw that the remaining hunter now had most of his bones broken and his face was cut with bloody slashes that would take an age to heal. Approaching the man, Harry then asked, "Now, about Mr Greyback: where will I find him?"

The man just spat in Harry's face…and made his fatal mistake;

Seconds later, Harry was back in the hybrid-form of his and Rakesh's spirits and, with no real mercy, he hissed, "No matter: you'll tell me everything sooner or later…brother."

Before the man could make a plea for mercy, Harry sank his fangs into the hunter's shoulder and tasted his flesh and blood, transferring the curse/gift of the lycanthrope from him to the one who should have saved himself when he had the chance.

However, when Harry bit into the man's flesh, his world turned upside down once more: what had meant to start out as a bite to the man that had nearly ruined the darkest night in Harry's life had suddenly become so much more as the wolf tasted flesh and blood, though, as his curse was passed on, he began to see things:

_Vision Start_

_The hunter that Harry had bitten, a veteran hunter and slayer of his kind known as Alexander Horvath, was wandering through what looked like a cavernous entrance towards a place where wolves were gathered, the man's hand going to his weapon concealed at his waist. However, he suddenly stopped as a voice hissed at him, "I wouldn't do that if you have any delusions of leaving here alive."_

"_You're the one who sent the message?" asked Horvath, his eyes scanning the room, "Who…and where are you?"_

"_Indeed," the slick voice replied, the man's eyes widening as a grizzled-featured man came into view: he was dressed in shabby robes and had a large scar cut down one of his cheeks; his hair was slick and darkest brown while his eyes were the feral colour of the wolf. "If we are to do business, it is better to be more formal with my guests: but I doubt I need much introduction, do I, Mr Horvath?"_

"_F-F-F-F-Fenrir G-G-G-G-Greyback!" stammered Horvath, actually stepping back as he faced the man opposite him, "Y-Y-Y-You're the most d-d-dangerous wolf in the world; so they say."_

"_Oh, Mr Horvath, you flatter me," laughed Greyback, Horvath's heart now racing a million miles an hour as he faced the monster opposite him, "But we are not here to talk about my reputation: I have a task that requires the expert skills of a hunter. It has come to my attention that a second-generation cub has been born into this world and, not too long ago, the Powers That Be saw fit to bestow him with his heritage. He needs a steady hand and guidance that only I can give: so, here's my offer, Mr Horvath: bring this child to me and I shall reward you with enough gold to put you over for the next few decades. What say you?"_

_The greed in Horvath won out, "I say yes; you may be a monster, Greyback, but I don't turn down a job when it means that much money._"

"_Good," Greyback sniggered as he faced the hunter opposite him, "Sometimes, it is true: the enemy of my enemy is my friend and, since the Lycans cast me out, I figure that we share a common enemy: now, a few rules. Firstly, the child is not to be harmed: if he is…in _any_ way, then I will personally hunt you down and rip out your spleen before shoving it down your throat. Second, you are allowed _one_ companion and, personally, may I suggest Mr Danes: he and I have…past dealings and, finally, you'll need a date and time: All Hallows Eve; sundown and, if you're wondering where, then may I suggest a little place called Godric's Hollow?"_

_Vision End_

Harry ripped his fangs from the shoulder of Alexander Horvath, his eyes filled with the same rage and darkness that he'd felt when he'd been turned down by Remus: next to him, said wolf reached into their link as he asked, '_What's wrong, cub?_'

'_Why didn't you just tell me that we were going to Godric's Hollow?_' asked Harry, his gaze on Remus as his claws extended from the tips of his clawed fingers, a look of pure bloodlust filling his gaze while his form became full Lycan as he added, '_The gifts are too rich for this…monster!_'

"HARRY!" Sirius cried, having heard the conversation and, seeing the look in Harry's eyes, knowing where this was going…but his warning came too late as Harry slashed his claws across Horvath's neck and chest, thus ending his life and, with no real remorse, leaving his corpse for the carrion.

Looking to the wolf that was his godson, Sirius asked, "Harry…don't you know what…"

"Be quiet, Sirius!" snapped Harry, his mouth and voice able to speak as he began to change back: however, even with his emerald-eyed gaze, there was still a trace of the wolf, "I am the future ruler of my people and I will not get there by being nice! Blood will need to be spilled if I am to rule well and, as a hunter, this…_mortal_ is my enemy: he's lucky that we still have time before the moon reaches high-point or I'd devour his flesh."

Sirius went to speak out, but Remus, who was also changed back, put a hand on his friend's shoulder before he whispered, "Let him say it, Padfoot: it's just the moon bringing this out…well; that and the fact that he clearly knows the meaning behind Godric's Hollow. But Harry," he looked up to his cub as he asked, "What…what happened when you bit him?"

"I…I don't know," Harry admitted, his tongue licking the dregs of blood from his teeth, "I think…somehow, when I bit him, I saw…his memories."

"Now there's a gift," Remus nodded, looking to Harry, who was standing over the body of the hunter as he continued, "And, from what I know of the Silverblood, the Alpha Prince, it's one that's available to him and most ancient werewolves and, in some cases, even the other creatures of the night, the vampires."

Harry didn't say anything: he just kicked at Horvath's corpse, the sound of the bone breaking in the man's neck seemingly putting his bloodlust at ease as he turned and, looking to Sirius, remarked, "You were taking me to Mum and Dad's grave, weren't you?"

"It seemed appropriate," Sirius explained, his eyes filled with a sense of actual fear as he saw the beast in his pup's eyes, "I…I just wanted to give you the chance to…to let go of what you've been feeling lately; and to remind you that, no matter what, pup, you're never alone."

"Then let's go," Harry explained, moving past the body and out of the building that they had shed blood and dealt damage to their enemies within, "It wouldn't be Halloween without this."

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Godric's Hollow:

In essence, Harry had to believe that it was where it would all begin and end: a part of him actually felt like he just wanted to run away and keep running, while another part of him, standing in front of the dilapidated house that had been the remains from that fated night, wanted to honour his parents' memories and just settle down here.

As he looked to the house, Harry caught the scents of those who had come and gone: even though it had been twelve years since the day, he could still smell the presence of the magic around here and, as he looked to Sirius and Remus, he realised he could still smell _their_ presence from that fated night. A dark lingering scent hung around the door and down from the gate, which made Harry's alter-ego growl threateningly as he recognised the scent: evil; malice; in a word: Voldemort.

"Remus," Harry muttered, his Beta moving to his side as he listened to his cub, "Because of…of my heritage, were you ever tempted to take me away and raise me?"

"Yes," Remus replied, his eyes on the house that had haunted him for so long, "But the Ministry wouldn't recognise a werewolf as your guardian and, if they learned that you of all people were to become one, then who knows what could have happened?"

"And Grams said she had to wait until the time was right," Harry muttered, his eyes on the house: in a way, he didn't want to leave this spot, but, with midnight fast approaching and the moon getting higher, Harry _needed_ to get back to the mountains so he could hunt and feed his wolf side.

As if anticipating the rising emotions in his cub, Remus then handed Harry a familiar flask, "Here; I knew that if we were coming here, you'd need this."

"Thanks," Harry remarked, downing the familiar Lycan Calming Elixir and, deep inside his soul, he felt Rakesh lying down to rest…for now; however, he could also feel the taste and tang of the hunter, Horvath's, blood. Now that he was calmed, Harry added, "Sirius: I'm sorry I snapped at you; the moon has a powerful effect even on those who can control the change."

"I know pup," Sirius muttered, standing on Harry's other side, "Remus told me that the moon and your recognising of where we were going put you in that mood…however, you shouldn't apologise, because you're also right. You _are_ a Prince of those who hunt and shed blood, so it's expected that those who choose to try and harm you suffer the fate of their blood being spilled. I'm sorry I kept this from you, but I will always stand with you and, I want you to know that I trust you to _always_ make the right choices: you _and_ Rakesh."

Harry just smiled as the three men stood in front of the once-proud Potter House for a short while longer, though it wouldn't be until late the next day that Harry contacted Ragnok and asked him a favour: repairing and rebuilding the House.

In the meantime;

"Remus…tell me everything you know…about Fenrir Greyback!"

**Chapter 9 and it's here where the new stuff starts: with Greyback now out for him and a new protégé to watch over, how will Harry adapt to the new, bloodthirsty side of him that reared its head on the night of the full moon?**

**Also, what other unique gifts will be bestowed on the Silverblood as his powers grow stronger?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: The year continues and Harry has words with his friends about his attitude of late; plus, a Hogsmeade date turns awry when Harry is forced to go wolf to protect his friends, but the danger's not out of the woods for him as **_**someone**_** sees him change…**

**Please Read and Review…**

**AN: The gift of Harry reading the memories of his victim was inspired by **_**Underworld**_** and the bite of a vampire/hybrid absorbing the memories through blood: it seemed appropriate for a noble leader of the wolves;**

**AN 2: Harry's last words before changing are also a new addition to this chapter as they just seemed so fun; they're from Doctor Who and just make a PERFECT prelude to a fight scene or escape attempt;**


	10. A Promise That I Keep

Hungry Like The Wolf

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Plot: **Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you; oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above;

I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna – but maybe not seen in-story until the GoF section;

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

**Review Answers:**

**FIRSTLY: Let me give a big thanks to everyone who's giving this story a second chance, it means so much to me; also, I'd like to thank my friend, StormyFireDragon, for reviewing EVERY chapter I posted of the original story; thanks mate;**

**MrGagaSlashLover: No, it's not your birthday: I just posted the story up to where I left it last time and from here is where it changes;**

**Kung-fu Blaziken: **_**For Chapter 9:**_** I'm glad you liked the reference: it's one that I wanted to use for some time; **

**Kung-fu Blaziken: **_**For Chapter 8:**_** I'm not saying much about what Hermione's fate is just yet, you'll just have to keep reading to find out;**

**Kung-fu Blaziken: **_**For Chapter 2: **_**I appreciate the compliment;**

**Kalladin1989: Evil for now…later? I haven't decided yet;**

**StormyFireDragon: Thanks for reviewing EVERY chapter, Storm and I hope you enjoy what I've written so far and what's to come;**

**Ranmaleopard: Sort of…it's inspired by most wolf fiction out there and I'd say that one is one I've read and enjoyed too;**

**DarkHarmonian: I have a nice idea for Hermione that will come around pretty soon, so you'll just have to keep reading to find out;**

**Gracealma: **_**For Chapter 9:**_** That's the mindset of Harry in this story that makes him Grey and not Light;**

**Escaped From Azkaban: **_**For Chapter 9:**_** Ginny will be good in this story: the manipulative attempts from earlier are solely on Ron and his banshee Mother's part;**

**Gracealma: **_**For Chapter 8:**_** Not exactly the same, but I do have a nice idea for Hermione that I hope my readers enjoy;**

**Gracealma: **_**For Chapter 4: **_**Perhaps, but then again, maybe it's something more: something so obvious it's staring you in the face;**

**Also: thanks to Texan-muggle for pointing out those one-or-two mistakes in the story's writing process: sometimes, I write so quickly that I don't notice things until after, but do you have to point out EVERY little thing? It was a bit degrading to read;**

_"Remus…tell me everything you know…about Fenrir Greyback!"_

Chapter 10: A Promise That I Keep

"Fenrir Greyback…I was afraid of the moment coming for you to run into _him._"

"I think we're past the point of fears at the moment, Grams," Harry replied, leaning casually against the wall of the lounge within Romanov Manor while Isabella, Sirius, Remus, Hermione and a concerned-looking Dan and Emma all sat in their respected chairs. "Fenrir knows of my existence and seems intent on hunting me down, but the question is…why? Surely he'd suspect that I'm an enemy of Voldemort and therefore _his_ enemy, wouldn't he?"

"Fenrir's not exactly an ordinary Death Eater, Harry," Remus explained, noticing the way that Harry had folded his arms, but the Lycan could still see his Alpha's claws darkening with the thought of Greyback. "He's more Voldemort's hired hitman than an actual Death Eater and his role within the Dark Army is one of intimidation and sending a message."

"Quite literally a dog to Riddle, then?" asked Sirius, earning a nod from Remus before he continued, "So, the question has to be then: why is Greyback coming after my pup like he is?"

"I have a theory," Hermione replied, looking over at her boyfriend before she explained, "You've become the newest incarnation of a legendary, if not, exalted wolf form: the Silverblood. As the Silverblood, you have the power inside you to unite the clans and do with them as you see fit; therefore, in the right hands, this kind of power would be used to bring a sort of peace or ceasefire between the clans."

"I see what you're saying, Hermione," Harry added, continuing his girlfriend's point as he explained, "But Greyback, who's a firm believer in building the packs and making us the true superior species out there, if he got his hands on the Silverblood and, through some miracle, turned me to the Dark Path, then I would unite the clans still, but I _wouldn't_ do that for peace. It would be for domination."

"And with you on his side," Remus added, following this train of thought rather easily, "Greyback could even challenge Voldemort himself and make him see that the only _true_ dark warriors around here are those who bear the curse/gift of the Lycanthrope."

"But first," Sirius finished, holding up his hands for emphasis as he explained, "He's got to do one thing: he's got to find, capture and turn Harry to do any of that."

"But he won't!" Harry exclaimed, before he shared a worried glance with Hermione and, seeing and _smelling_ the fear in her, he also looked to Isabella before he asked, "W-Will he Grams?"

Isabella closed her eyes for a moment, but only for a moment, before she opened them again and, with a sad shake of her head, she told him, "I'm sorry, sweetheart: the days ahead are a blur to my power. It's like now that you've seen your true enemy's face, the future is no longer clear because either outcome can happen."

If he was being honest, it _wasn't_ what Harry had wanted to hear her tell him…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

"Hermione, I'm not sure about this: what if…what if they turn on me?"

"Just trust in yourself, Harry," Hermione replied, putting an arm around her boyfriend's shoulders as they walked slowly back to Gryffindor Tower; it was after their little Samhain break and, if Harry was being honest, he wasn't looking forwards to the reactions. But Hermione and Isabella and Remus had all suggested that he clear the air with his friends after turning into that darkish side of himself like he had done.

When Harry had caved and said he would listen, he had told them that he _wasn't_ apologising to Ron for what he'd done, not after everything the git had done to try and separate Harry from Hermione including offering her drugged accessories to help with her hair. He'd apologise to Fred, George and Ginny, but not to Ron or Percy.

Speaking the password, Hermione led a still-worried Harry into the Common Room where, as soon as the King of the Pride stepped amongst their midst, the room fell so silent that you'd suspect someone had died. Though he didn't show any outward reactions, Harry could _hear_ the hearts of the younger years' students pounding like drum parades while the elder years were holding their breaths and some of them even sweating as they looked upon Harry.

Moving to a spot where he could address the whole room, Harry coughed before he spoke to them, "Err…hi everyone; look, I know what I've done recently has scared and unnerved some of you while others now believe I probably don't deserve to call myself one of you any longer. And I don't blame you: but I just want you to know that I'm truly sorry to our elder students for my disrespect and our younger ones for frightening them. Professor McGonagall always says that our house is like our family and, lately, I've felt like I couldn't share my problems or my fears with that family. It wasn't that it was Halloween approaching that…that turned me into what you saw; it was…something more personal and, while I'd _love_ to try and explain things to you all, I need you to understand that this is one secret about the so-called Boy-Who-Lived that you'll need to accept is one I can't share."

"Are you feeling better now, Harry?" asked Ginny, almost shivering as Harry turned his emerald-eyed gaze on her.

As he looked at her, Harry sniffed once as though he was saddened by his own words, but in reality, he was checking her for deceptions: finding only genuine fear and a sense of hope lingering on her, he smiled before he answered, "I doubt I can ever truly feel better, Ginny, but I hope that you, my friends and honorary family, can help me. I can't promise that the dark side of me won't rear its head at the inopportune moments, but I can promise that, with your help, I can do my best to stay the same Harry Potter you know and love and respect…well, until the end of the year, anyway."

With that, Harry went to make his way back to his dorm, but he was cut off when Neville called out to him, "Why until the end of the year, Harry?"

Stopping, and sensing the curiosity on most of the Gryffindors while others looked a little perplexed by Harry's choice of words; looking over to Hermione, Harry saw her nod as if she was telling him it was okay to tell them.

With a sigh, Harry faced his dorm-mates once more before he explained, "Because, at the end of the year, at the request of my legal guardian, I'll be leaving Hogwarts for another school in Greece where I'm not targeted by madmen and singled out for being something I'm not."

The silence of the lions only continued after this news from their self-professed Alpha Male and King of the Pride…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

As Harry had half-expected, word soon spread amongst the students of Hogwarts about his announcement to leave Hogwarts and, for some, there were looks and sensations of sadness and worry while others seemed to crow about the news, most particularly the Slytherins and a few other members of the Houses.

One thing that surprised Harry, however, was that the one Slytherin he'd expected most to brag and boast about his leaving Hogwarts simply looked at Harry with an air of disappointment about him. For a long while after the announcement, Draco Malfoy didn't look at Harry with cold intentions or mock his choice or even make any jibes about him and his relationship with Hermione…not that _that_ wasn't news either to the students.

After Harry's attack on Ron, which the git had actually tried to milk his injuries before Madam Pomfrey had healed him in a matter of moments, the students knew without a shadow of a doubt that targeting the newly-nicknamed Golden Couple's relationship was close to signing your own death warrant. It was clear to the students that Harry cared deeply for Hermione, even when several of them saw him studying and socialising with Luna Lovegood, and to try and get between them was the biggest mistake that you could make.

In the meantime, Harry didn't seem fazed by how the rumour mill of Hogwarts had announced his leaving; in fact, he just continued with his learning and his studies like he wasn't going anywhere. The occasional talk with Remus and the odd need to drink his Lupine Calming Draught was the only outside contact that Harry had with his other side's world.

After his introduction to those who'd hunt him for sport and money, Harry had also reined in his transformation periods, keeping his changes to nights with Remus on the full moon in the Shrieking Shack. But that didn't mean he still didn't display his other abilities: in most of his free periods, he could be seen running or exercising around the outside of Hogwarts and, when he wasn't doing that, he was turning Hogwarts herself into his own personal playground, using parkour and balancing skills to move from one floor to the other.

Some of the teachers tried to reduce his little sessions within the grounds, including Professor Snape, who went as far as giving Harry a detention for _lacking maturity within his place of learning_, but Harry had just turned and glared at the man, giving most of the students a heart attack when Severus reversed his decision.

But, had they seen the glare that Harry had sent the Potions Master, they would have seen his eyes turn gold with the wolf within: sure, it was risky letting him know of Harry's newfound state, but if he did anything to endanger the Alpha's secret…well, Harry _did_ still have the right to cash in his Father's life-debt.

The only professors that Harry _did_ show respect to, much to their own surprises, were Professors McGonagall, Lupin, Flitwick and, surprisingly, Professor Sinistra; the Astronomy Professor didn't know what she'd done to earn the respect of the young Gryffindor, but didn't argue at the same time.

Whether it was just coincidence or a sense of irony, Harry didn't know, but he _had_ noticed that his Astronomy lessons were always on days outside of the three-night-period of the full moon.

When he'd made a joke to Remus about the Astronomy Professor being a werewolf, Remus had laughed before he'd explained that if she was, then he'd have picked up on it before Harry, but whatever her reason, the duo certainly were grateful for the decision.

So, with everything that went on at Hogwarts and how his life had now changed in many different ways, it surprised Harry when he woke up one morning and realised just how close the Winter Solstice and Christmas were.

The weekend before the students were to leave for the holidays was a Hogsmeade Weekend and, as a special gift, Harry asked Hermione to escort him on a personal date to the village.

Needless to say that she was fairly eager to oblige him of that request…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

To look at Hogsmeade from afar and even walking through the village, it was easy to see that winter had come to the land and Christmas was on its way: the windows of the shops and apartment buildings overhead were decorated with tinsel and lights while strips of holly and magical candle lights were in-between the houses. Snow had fallen on the ground and decorated the buildings like icing sugar on a gingerbread house and, as they walked to the village, Harry smiled to himself as he heard carollers singing in the square.

It was thanks to Isabella – and an added reminder from Sirius – that Harry was even able to attend the village in the first place: when he'd originally been sent the letters, they'd been sent to the now-empty Privet Drive address, but thankfully, Harry had one truly loyal mail courier on hand to bring them to the right address. When the first trip had come around shortly before the Harvest Moon, Harry had been stopped by Dumbledore before Minerva had reminded Dumbledore of the fact that Harry didn't live with the Dursleys any longer.

A fact that she later confided in Harry to be thankful for.

But now, unlike the first time when he'd come to the village with friends, Harry felt much better and he actually felt a hint of calmness seep into his spirit – both the human and the lupine one – as he looked upon the beauty and majesty of the wintry scene. After restocking his own personal sweet supply from Honeydukes, Harry let Hermione just lead him around the village, both of them knowing that it would be better to avoid the Three Broomsticks for now.

It was always busy in the early hours of any Hogsmeade trip and, on top of that, they didn't want to ruin the happiness of the moment by running into certain…unwanted company.

So, instead, after Hermione used the Hogsmeade Owl Mail Office to send a letter to her parents explaining that she was spending Christmas at the Manor with Harry and his family – though she _did_ add that Isabella also invited Dan and Emma to join them – the two Gryffindors left the hustle and bustle of the village behind and made their way up to the Shrieking Shack's exterior where Harry felt Hermione press into his side, a sigh escaping her as she looked at the ancient building.

"Time was, I'd be intimidated by this place," Hermione muttered as she leaned into Harry for warmth and the feeling of companionship, the cold not really affecting Harry thanks to his wolf blood. But that didn't stop him from wearing the necessary accessories to disguise this fact as Hermione continued, "But now that I know why it's _really_ filled with growls and groans, I know that it's just another building to me."

"Another building with a history for both species," Harry explained, remembering the explanation that Remus had given him about the Shack:

It had originally been bought by a lord looking to settle in Hogsmeade and send his children to Hogwarts; when the lord's eldest was turned by a werewolf, they used the house as a place of transformation and kept the surrounding area clear of buildings to reduce the threat to students, staff and visitors alike. In this time, the same lord built the tunnel under the Whomping Willow so that his son and his descendants could move between the school and the shack with very little risk of being followed.

The line of the lord had ended over a century beforehand, but the place was still left for any wolves to use as their den while Remus himself had used it to change before he'd been taking the Wolfsbane Potion. Of course, nowadays, it was used as a place of pack socialising by the Lycan and his Alpha, but the manner in which the building existed to serve still remained.

"I've always wanted to ask," Hermione replied, looking up to the emerald eyes of her boyfriend as she asked, "What's it like now, Harry? I mean, you can now become _both_ a Lycanthrope and a Dire Arctic Wolf when you change, so what does the change feel like for you?"

"It depends on when I change," Harry explained, looking over his shoulder as though he was checking that they were well and truly alone: maybe it was just his paranoia showing itself since the hunter incident, but he _was_ the Silverblood, after all. He couldn't afford to be tricked again: who knows what sort of consequence could come from this next time?

Clearing his throat, Harry continued as he explained, "On the night of the moon, I can change into my true wolf form or my Lycan form and, as you know, Mione, any other time outside those three days, I just change into that half-changed form and _then_, if my emotions or the need to change are high enough, then I become the Lycan. According to Grams, when my powers grow stronger, I'll be able to take full wolf form whenever I want, but for now, it's the moon that guides my forms. As for how it feels, well…it's like there's two sides to my mind: one that's me and one that's Rakesh and, when I change fully into the Lycan, we become one, but when I change into the Dire Wolf, it's like I take over him. Then, when I become that half-changed form, it's like he's scraping at the door and wants to be let out, but he _knows_ that even if he's let out, I can still control him…sometimes."

"Maybe it's because I've _seen_ all three sides to your Lycanthrope side, but that actually makes sense," Hermione laughed, breathing warm air into her hands before she asked, "By the way, when you…leave, I was just wondering, what's going to happen to me? I haven't asked Mum and Dad's permission yet to leave the school since I'm not recognised as being of age like you, so…"

"We can talk to them about it at Christmas," Harry told her, taking her hands in his before he breathed his own warm air into them.

"Thanks," Hermione muttered sarcastically, "Now my hands are going to smell of dog breath."

"Woof," Harry laughed, bringing a smile to his girlfriend's face before he lifted her chin and, drawing himself in closer, he told her, "One way or another, Mione, you won't be alone: when I last thought I'd lost my pack, it turned me into something I didn't really like. Even if I have to use some sort of magical oath or bond to make sure you come with me, I will: you have no idea what you do to me when we're close or when we spend our time together. But I do know that I could never leave you here at Hogwarts where I can't help you protect yourself from those who would want us to be apart."

"I know," Hermione nodded, slipping a kiss against her boyfriend's lips before she added, "I'll speak to Mum and Dad about it: but…what about the place where you're going? I thought it was just a place for…creature-kind?"

"Olympus Institute is for humans as well as Dusk-Worlders," Harry explained, using the term he'd learned from Isabella when they'd talked about the place he was going to. "Just because weres like me have our own dorm hall as would other Duskworld Clans, it doesn't mean that humans wouldn't be welcomed. Grams said she'll give me a full explanation about what that means exactly before we go there, but, for now, let's enjoy what time we have here at Hogwarts and, last time I checked, I was on a date with my girl."

Hermione just smiled before she let Harry lead her back towards the village: however, just as the village square came back into sight, Harry's senses suddenly reared up, his sense of hearing picking up what sounded like screaming from the far side of the village leading out towards a rocky outcropping.

Seeing her boyfriend's hesitations, Hermione asked, "What is it?"

"Trouble," growled Harry, letting go of Hermione's hands before he turned to her and added, "I know I have no right to order you like one of my pack, but…"

"I'm your Omega, Harry," Hermione reminded him, taking his hand in hers once more before she asked, "What can I do?"

"Head into the village," Harry explained, Hermione then noticing his claws revealing themselves from under his nails as he added, "Check on the gang: stay with our friends or head back to school. If you do the latter, tell Remus to get in touch with Grams: I may not be able to take this alone."

"Take what?" asked Hermione.

With a snarl that was all too familiar to her, Hermione gasped as Harry's body shifted into his half-changed form, his golden-coloured eyes shining brightly as he hissed in a guttural voice, "Hunters…they're back for more!"

Then, with that, Harry took off into the distance, moving around the outside of the village with incredible speed while Hermione made for Hogsmeade to check on their friends.

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Had Harry been more focused on his current situation, he would have picked up the scent of the figure that watched him and Hermione from the shadows of the trees and, as Harry had changed, widened his grey eyes before he watched as Hermione made for the village.

"Great Merlin," whispered Draco Malfoy, "Since when is _Potter_ a bloody werewolf?"

"Longer than you may think, childe."

Turning on his heel, Draco looked upon the Native American form of the man that Harry and Hermione knew as Peregrine Romanov, the ancient Skinwalker looking at Draco with eyes of sorrow and a hint of warning as he faced the Slytherin Prince.

"Who are you?" asked Draco.

"One whom is a friend of the spirit you just saw," Peregrine answered, his voice edged by wisdom as he continued, "And one who sees the dilemma you face in you, Dragon's Son: loyalty compels you to report what you have seen and endanger the life of one who may very well be the only one to save you from your dark future."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's not too late to repair a wound that was once broken," Peregrine answered, his eyes on Draco as he explained, "If he is endangered by your hands and choices, it will bring a devastation greater than you can possibly imagine: however, if you shed your skin like the snake you so closely represent and become what you've secretly sought for him, then you can not only help him, but possibly, save your own future and that of your closest allies…like your Mother."

"Don't you dare…" Draco began, going to draw his wand to retaliate to Peregrine's words;

However, when he looked up once again, the Silver Prince only saw the blackness of the woodlands where he'd watched the impossible become possible.

'Senile old man,' he thought to himself, pocketing his wand once more before he made his way back to the school and _not_ to his little group, 'But what does he know of me…and what did he mean by saving the future of my Mother and me?'

**Chapter 10 – and the first chapter of my new HLTW adventure's continuation – and it seems that trouble really DOESN'T leave Harry alone for long, but who is in danger from the Hunters?**

**Also, what will Draco do with Peregrine's warning and Harry's revelation ringing in his ears?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: A shocking surprise forces Harry to go wolf to protect his friends; plus, ahead of schedule, Harry leaves Hogwarts to apparently protect his friends and is introduced to The Olympus Institute and its new ways…but is Hermione with him? Plus, back at Hogwarts, Draco goes to the only one he can think of who may understand this dilemma: Remus Lupin.**

**Please Read and Review…**

**AN: The title of this chapter is taken from the title song of the BBC series Wolfblood; all rights to the original creator;**


	11. Interlude: The Unseen Enemy

Hungry Like The Wolf

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Plot: **Before third year, Harry comes into a remarkable inheritance through the bloodline of his Mother's lineage: discovering a family that he never knew, can Harry learn to tame his new powers and the beast beneath his skin and become what he was born to be: the Alpha Prince, ruler of the Lycan Nation?

**Author's Tirade: **This story came to me after reading a book on werewolves that I purchased from a local bookshop; however, in this story, as with several others of mine, there WILL be things in it that don't meet other people's liking: so, to quote a friend of mine: _If this story is not your cup of tea then I suggest that you switch to coffee. I cannot nor will I attempt to please everyone;_

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like it, then don't read and PLEASE don't put in the reviews that this isn't for you; oh, and I would like to dedicate this story to each and every one of those people who do like my stories, especially my friend StormyFireDragon, who originally wrote the warning above;

I would also like to dedicate this story to whitetigerwolf for his story _Rise of the Lycans_; that story is my recommended read as well as any by Storm;

Harry/Hermione

Eventual Neville/Luna – but maybe not seen in-story until the GoF section;

Normal Speech

'Thought'

'_Telepathy_'

**Review Answers:**

**WhiteElfElder: Don't worry; I don't intend on separating our Alpha and his Omega too quickly or too easily; also, please make a note of what I say at the end of this chapter;**

"_Head into the village," Harry explained, Hermione then noticing his claws revealing themselves from under his nails as he added, "Check on the gang: stay with our friends or head back to school. If you do the latter, tell Remus to get in touch with Grams: I may not be able to take this alone."_

"_Take what?" asked Hermione._

_With a snarl that was all too familiar to her, Hermione gasped as Harry's body shifted into his half-changed form, his golden-coloured eyes shining brightly as he hissed in a guttural voice, "Hunters…they're back for more!"_

Chapter 11: Interlude: The Unseen Enemy

Bounding through the woodlands that led up to the source of his scents, Harry felt a mix of worry and rage rise inside him as he considered the many different reasons for hunters being here at Hogwarts, even if it _was_ Hogsmeade Village.

On one hand, they could simply be here patrolling for rogue wolves or sport and heard that one had been seen at Hogwarts – Remus – and hoped to draw him out into the open where…nature could take its course.

But if that was the case, then why had they kidnapped what smelled like students?

That left the only other reason that Harry could think of: they were a second band of hunters here on the payroll of Fenrir Greyback, each of them intent on hunting him down and bringing the Lycan Prince to the rogue Alpha. And, by using the students as bait, they increased their chances of Harry going wolf to protect his friends, which made it easier for them to capture him…or so they thought.

'Clearly,' Harry thought as he reached the foot of the small mountain-like rising where he'd smelled the hunters' presence, 'These aren't friends of Mr Horvath or Mr Danes…otherwise they'd know _who_ they're dealing with.'

Quick as a flash, Harry was up the side of the cliffs and, when he reached the entrance to the cavern, he stopped himself before entering into unfamiliar territory. Bending low to the ground, Harry sniffed at the scents of the victims and those who had come to trap him here: there were three fearful scents as well as two that Harry didn't recognise: these, he decided, had to be the scents of the hunters.

'_Rakesh,_' whispered the Lycan Prince to his inner spirit, '_Be ready, we may need to go all out to protect those in danger._'

'_I am ready, little cub,_' Rakesh replied, his spirit fading slightly as Harry returned to full human form and, drawing his wand, he stepped into the cavern, his wand held out in front of him.

"Whoever's here," he called to the darkness, "Let them go: I'm here…just as you want me to be…now, show yourself and let my friends go!"

There was a sound like the clatter of chains before Harry's eyes widened as Neville emerged from the darkness, the unconscious form of Lavender Brown in his arms while over his back, much to Harry's surprise, was the blonde-haired form of Luna Lovegood.

"What's she doing here?" Harry asked, noticing Neville's almost thankful look.

"I got permission from Professor McGonagall to bring her out," Neville explained, setting Lavender down before he turned back to the cavern as he added, "Harry, you should go: he'll kill you."

"He?" asked Harry, looking into the darkness before he turned back as he asked, "Wait a minute: why aren't you surprised to find me here saving you from…whatever's in there?"

With a knowing smile, Neville answered, "You think Hermione's the only one who can put the pieces together? It wasn't until after Halloween Night that I realised it, though: but don't worry, I mean, we're friends aren't we?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded, looking to the unconscious Luna before he asked, "How…how are you carrying them both? You must be knackered!"

"It's a struggle," Neville confessed, before he shrugged his shoulders as he added, "But then again, maybe someone's just a bit lazy."

"But I like this," Luna muttered, before she opened her eyes and, seeing Harry standing there, she gave him the same smile he'd seen before as she added, "Hello Harry Potter: do be careful when playing with the puppy, won't you?"

"I'll try," laughed Harry, indicating the path down the hill as he added, "Now go…and please don't tell _anyone_ about this, okay?"

"Your pack will do as their Alpha wishes," Luna remarked, earning a smirk from Harry before she and Neville carried Lavender down the mountain, Neville looking back only once before he took off into the village with his friends.

Back on the mountain, Harry sniffed at the air within the blackness once more before he shifted again into his half-changed form, his eyes glowing with the fires of his inner self as he asked, "All right, they're gone: so why don't you come out so I can see you for myself? Because let me tell you, you've made a _big_ mistake if you thought you could use my friends against me."

"I didn't _want_ to use them," a guttural voice replied, before Harry heard the shrug of the metal chains once more as the darkness seemed to fade, revealing a campfire and what looked like two dead corpses with a third standing over them. "But sometimes you just can't get the staff, wouldn't you agree, little cub?"

With wide, almost terrified eyes, Harry looked up to the dark-grey eyes of the man standing in front of him, the grizzled appearance of the man's face only outmatched by the two rows of sharp fangs in his maw. Dressed in fine black robes and holding what looked to be one of the chains used by the now-dead Hunters at his feet.

Feeling his wolf spirit recede slightly, Harry let out his own growl before he hissed, "You're…you're Fenrir Greyback!"

"And you are Harry James Romanov-Potter," Fenrir answered, smiling with the air of the predator cornering his prey as he added, "The Alpha of Alphas: Prince of the Lycanthrope Nation and Silver Blood: it's an honour to meet you, my Alpha: care for a drink?"

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Hermione felt a mix of emotions rise in her heart when she saw Neville escorting Luna Lovegood down from the end of the village, an unconscious Lavender in his arms and a look of relief and worry mixed into his eyes. Seeing his fellow Gryffindor standing there, Neville hoisted Lavender onto his back before he waved her over, allowing Hermione a chance to run over and greet him.

"Are you okay?" asked Hermione, noticing the slightly roughed-up look of both students.

"Just fine," Neville gasped, looking back to the mound as he added, "But Harry…he's still there and with…with him!"

"Him?"

"Fenrir Greyback," whispered Luna, the words making Hermione's blood run cold as she looked to the mysterious blonde, "He wants to meet Harry and didn't necessarily suggest hostages or collateral damage."

"Then…" Hermione looked back to Neville before she asked, "You…you know? About Harry…and that he's…"

"Prince of the Werewolves," Neville answered, nodding in agreement with Hermione's unspoken point as he explained, "I do; but it's okay: we're a team, us Gryffindors. If we don't stand up for one another and help each other out where it matters, then what kind of warrior house are we? I had to Obliviate Lavender when Fenrir turned up, though: she seemed to put it together and went off about spilling the beans to the rest of the house. We couldn't let her do that to our friend."

"Or our Alpha," Luna added, earning a look of horror from Hermione, "Don't worry, Omega: we weren't harmed, but we are part of our Alpha's pack whether we howl at the moon or not."

Hermione felt like she could understand that: after all, she wasn't a wolf or a were-creature and yet she was a part of Harry's pack, both as his girl and his Omega – a fact she'd confessed to him just minutes before – so it wasn't surprising that their friends considered themselves members as well. Besides, Hermione also remembered how a certain someone had said that Neville was brave for standing up to his friends and, though nothing had ever come of it, it made sense that Neville still respected that friendship.

"So…where are you going now?" she asked, looking back to Neville, who shrugged his shoulders before he indicated to Lavender.

"Back to Hogwarts," he explained, "We'll take Lavender to the Hospital Wing and say she took a bad fall: then we'll stay with you, Hermione. After all, I doubt that Harry would like it if we let anything happen to his Omega."

Hermione felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she turned and followed her friends back to Hogwarts, a part of her hoping that Harry was going to emerge from this new trial in one piece.

Especially since he was meeting the one that had tried to ruin the darkest day of his life and all for the sake of meeting the Lycan Prince…

_**Hungry Like The Wolf**_

Standing in the entrance of the cavern, his eyes on Fenrir Greyback, Harry didn't know whether to go with basic instinct and just attack the elder wolf or actually wait this out and see what he wanted. Through Rakesh's powers, he could smell the sincerity and lack of a threat presented at that moment by Greyback, but, at the same time, Harry could also smell the predator in the room and that put his wolf side on full alert.

"What's wrong, Harry?" asked Greyback, his guttural voice speaking with a hint of malice mixed with amusement, "I'm here to talk, I promise you: surely we would talk better over a drink?"

"Cut the crap," Harry growled, feeling his wolf side rise up once more, "You tried to have me killed: you led those Hunters to my darkest memory place and _let_ them try to hurt me!"

"Not me," Greyback insisted, holding up his hands in defence as he explained, "I wanted you alive so that we could do what we're doing now, dear cub: talk. I know you have questions and that you want to know more about the wolf inside you; things that certain others would only be too scared to _let_ you know."

"No," Harry argued, his eyes turning wolf as he insisted, "You _want_ me to become a monster just like you; one who exists solely for the so-called _pleasures_ of turning infant children and ruining the lives of others. To upset the balance between man and beast and bring the human race to its knees."

"And would that be so bad?" asked Greyback, kicking at the skull of the hunter at his feet, "Look at what they do to us, Harry: they make us out to be monsters when, time was, our kind were revered as warriors and scouts alike. We rule territories now, but only so long as we avoid their human domains: how is it wrong that we rise up and show them what we can _really_ do?"

"And how is that a good thing?" asked Harry, indicating the hunters himself as he argued, "You know what they can do, Greyback: outside of magic's medieval beliefs, humankind has evolved and discovered new ways to hunt and destroy."

"And _we_ would become _their_ prey," Greyback reasoned, stepping across the bodies as he added, "Yes, Harry Potter: I am more than aware of their technological advances with weapons of mass destruction: atomic bombs, nuclear weapons, sonic-induced weapons and mass productive natures of viruses and other such tools of demolition. I know of their grenades and their paralysing assaults as well as their heat-seekers and sniper weapons plus what they call RPG Launchers: these things would destroy not only the humans themselves, but our kind as little more than weak animals: pups before their so-called greater beings. All too soon, Lycanthropes would become extinct and our great power lost to the winds like ephemera."

"We would find a way to survive," Harry insisted, shaking his head as he looked to Greyback, the elder wolf now standing inches from his face as he argued, "I may not have the full power of the Silver Blood at my command, but with time and training, things can change. How they change? I don't know, but I know they can…they will…they must."

"You don't sound so sure," Fenrir argued, tracing Harry's cheek with one of his claws as he asked, "But what do you know? You're just a child with no experience over our true ways of life: you know not of the wars we fight in the shadows or the traumas we have had to experience. I mean, look at me."

He then paused to roll up his arms to reveal bare flesh and nothing else; with a glance to Harry, Greyback continued, "No Dark Mark and yet I was forced to be little more than Tom Riddle's whipping boy and source of fear in the world. If I did not serve him, then I would be destroyed and, once the world sees you for who you _really_ are, then the same will be said of you too, Harry. They are only as good as the world allows to be and once it's over, when they no longer need you…they'll cast you out, like a leper."

"I…I don't believe that," Harry argued, pushing Greyback's hand away from his cheek as he added, "I can't: that's why I'm leaving for safer pastures: a territory all my own where I can't be the Boy-Who-Lived because he doesn't exist over there. Somewhere I can learn more about my other side while having the fun and freedom of a normal teenager: no Dark Lords, no crazy people and, above all else, no biased beliefs that my kind…_our _kind have to die!"

"And that's what _I_ want as well," Greyback insisted, his eyes on Harry as he explained, "Think about it, Harry: you aim for peace between humans and Lycans and what will happen? Mass murder? Ostracised laws? The Great Purge, perhaps? Humans will _never_ understand our kind; not unless they actually _choose_ to embrace our kind…such as your little Omega, for example."

A threatening growl ripped out of Harry as he turned on Greyback, his eyes full wolf and his claws now revealed as he snarled, "Don't you even think of threatening her! I'll protect her…and I'll stop anyone who gets in my way."

"No matter who they are?"

"Yes!"

"Then don't you see?" asked Fenrir, stepping back from Harry before, to Harry's surprise, the wolf dropped to one knee and bared his throat before he asked, "Do you see that this is what we _both_ want? Let me help you understand the Alpha in you, Harry, and I will give you anything you ask: my pack, my loyalty, my throat…all will be yours: let me help you achieve your dream…and maybe, in the process, you can help me."

"How do I know that I can trust you?"

"I am bound by our laws as is every Lycan," Fenrir explained, lifting his head before he added, "But if you feel that you cannot trust me, then test me: give me a challenge and I shall obey you until that challenge is accomplished or I die, whichever comes first."

Harry let out a snarl: he didn't like it, but, the more he thought about it, the more he began to realise that Fenrir had a good point: Harry _did_ want peace, but not if it meant he was practically condemning their kind in the process. It was because of those biased beliefs and the condemning of their kind that he was leaving Britain for The Olympus Institute in the first place, wasn't it?

With a growl that died in his throat, Harry turned before he hissed, "You betray me, you die!"

"Of course."

"I will _not_ let you forget this."

"I'm not expecting you to."

"You would be forced to bend your knee and bare your throat to me."

"Every time we met, my Alpha."

Letting his wolf side recede completely, Harry grumbled to himself before he asked, "Then tell me: if all you wanted to do was talk, why did you risk endangering me and my friends by hiring the hunters?"

"I am a known associate of Tom Riddle, even without the Dark Mark," Fenrir explained, rising from the ground as he looked into Harry's eyes, "I couldn't just walk up to the doors of Hogwarts and knock asking for Harry Potter now, could I?"

Harry had to laugh at that one, "I guess not…in which case, you should probably go: how will I find you next time I wish to talk?"

"I'll send a messenger," Fenrir explained, "They'll have the details of how we can talk."

"In the meantime," Harry then added, releasing a small piece of his Silver Aura as he commanded, "_NO_ Biting anyone else, Greyback; from now on, only those who _ask_ you to turn them will be turned. Anyone else…you leave alone and only turn or bite _if_ they attack you."

Greyback nodded in response as Harry turned and, with a few deft movements, he reached the bottom of the mountain in seconds.

Back up in the clearing, however, Greyback just sniggered before he turned and spoke to the two corpses, "Nice work, you two: now I have exactly what I need."

With a groan, one of the hunters – a thick-set, dark-skinned man with furs for clothes and a knife at his belt – rose from the ground before he asked in a deep voice, "Did you _have_ to kick me so hard, Grey? I know you had to sell it, but that hurt."

"It'll heal, Raze," Fenrir answered, watching as the other hunter, a slick-haired man with a goatee beard and cold blue eyes rose from the ground, his eyes as cold as ice as he looked to Fenrir as the wolf added, "Now that I have the Alpha's ear, we can progress nicely: will the pack obey him, Lucien?"

"I'll _make_ them obey him if it sells our little game," Lucien answered, his eyes shining with the wolf within as he added, "But how long will it take for you to have him where he's _meant_ to be?"

"If the signs are right," Fenrir answered, "Not too long at all."

**Chapter 11 and the intermission between this adventure and the next – the Olympus era of the story – and it seems like things are hanging in the air for Harry, but will he see Fenrir's deception before it's too late?**

**Plus, what will he say when Hermione tells him of his new pack members?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Timeskip to the summer and Harry leaves Hogwarts to apparently protect his friends and is introduced to The Olympus Institute and its new ways…but is Hermione with him? Plus, back in England, Draco speaks with the now ex-Professor Lupin about what he'd seen and been told;**

**Please Read and Review…**

**AN: I wrote this chapter as the bridge between the two adventures in the one story with the intention of revealing a few surprises and setting up for Olympus: also, while the Raze and Lucien ARE inspired by the Underworld characters, I once again stress that, like my other story, this is NOT a Crossover, so no questions about Underworld canon events PLEASE!**


	12. AN: About why I reposted

Hi to all my loyal readers; DZ2 here with a message regarding this story; when I found it, I was surprised, I confess it; but I posted it as a means for people to enjoy one of my older stories. What I'm saying is that I am not continuing with this story; however, if anyone would like to continue it, then please let me know.

In the meantime, enjoy my other stories;

All the best;

DZ2


End file.
